A Moment Worth A Lifetime
by Irritus185
Summary: Chapter 4 Up! She laid on top of him, the pervert and the pervert-hater, their faces barely inches apart. What was he to do...? It's amazing how one moment can change how two people feel about each other forever.
1. Back to My Childhood Memories

A/N: Heyo, people! I'm back, just as promised! Aren't you all so happy? If not, too bad! In any case, I've got a brand new story up now. It's my third Love Hina story and I really hope all of you enjoy it. I thought it might be a nice break from "And Life Goes On." Anyway, this one starts at the beginning of the series, and is, of course, a romance story. It also has a little more drama in it, because I made Keitaro a lot more serious and somber. Sorry, but the crazy Keitaro got old after a while. Anyway, hope all of you enjoy! 

Disclaimer: I, in no way, shape or form, own any of Love Hina. Ken Akamatsu does and I highly doubt he will ever give me the rights to it. So all I can do now is write stories based on Love Hina. Please do not sue! Because if you do... then I probably won't be able to do anything about it at all. 

**A Moment Worth A Lifetime   
Chapter 1: Back to My Childhood Memories   
By Yamiga'sLight**

"..." – talking   
'...' – thinking 

Do you believe in Fate? The idea that our destinies are predetermined and that there's nothing we can do about it? To think that everything that happens to us happens for a reason, including the people that we meet, the things that we do, and the events that occur in our lifetimes? Or... to put it more simply, that there are no such things as coincidences? I do... but this isn't my story or my time or my place. This particular story takes place in Japan in a certain building amongst a certain group of people. 

The people there are strange, but nice... in their own ways. They have nearly nothing in common, whether it be their age, hobbies, interests or just plain knowledge of each other's lives. At least... that's how they _were_. But now, they're a family. Not a family in the traditional sense as in having a mom, dad, son, daughter, and the family dog and/or cat. Well, they _do_ have a pet, but it is _definitely_ not the traditional kind. But they are a family nonetheless. They know each other's pasts, presents, and maybe even their futures. They love each other... each in their own special ways. 

But that's the end of the story. You still don't know the beginning of it. You don't know how these people's lives were woven together by that mysterious entity known as Fate. Bound together by a promise, a memory, and a house so full of secrets, that you could not even begin to unravel them all. And it all started in the past... Not the beginning of the story past, but even far past that. A long, long time ago when a little boy and girl made a promise to each other, under the watchful eye of that very same earlier mentioned building... 

"Did you know that if two people who love each other go to Tokyo University, they'll live happily ever after?" 

Two children were playing in a sandbox, making what seemed to be nothing more than a pile of dirt and wet sand. The little girl patted the mound one last time before sitting back down and saying what was written from before. The little boy looked up curiously and sat upon his knees. He looked at the girl in a perplexed manner while she held her stuffed animal in her arms and grinned lopsidedly. "Really?" 

The girl nodded her head, put the doll down, and crawled over to where the boy was. "Kei?" He cocked his head. She giggled at the completely confused look on his face. That was just like her Kei... so confused, so innocent, and so _cute_! "When we grow up, let's go to Tokyo U together, okay?" Before Kei could react, she gently caught his face between her hands and leaned over. Kei's face burst into a furious blush as she planted a soft peck on his cheek. The girl leaned back and stared at him, a mischievous smile on her face. 

Kei could do nothing but be frozen to the spot. His mouth gaped slightly open as he gazed straight ahead. Had she... had she kissed him?! Her?! He furiously shook his head. No! This was no time to zone out! "O-okay!" He managed to stutter out. "It's a promise!" 

The little girl's face formed into an ecstatic grin. "Yay, thank you, Kei!" Her eyes slanted into an almost evil look. "And your reward is... tickle time!" She launched herself at him, knocking them both onto the mount of sand below. The only sounds afterward were the squeals and shrieks of two happy kids playing the rest of the day... together. 

A few days later, and the little girl had to leave. She was only staying at the inn for a few days vacation with her family and now it was time for her to go home. Kei was heartbroken. His best friend and only love was leaving! Sure, they were only five but still... love is love, right? That being said, he only watched from out of his grandma's inn's window as the moving truck slowly began to pack his friend's stuff away. He saw the little girl looking forlornly at the inn, calling his name. But she finally just gave up and climbed into the van's passenger seat, tears streaming down her face. 

Kei sighed and turned around, sliding to the floor. He circled his arms around his legs and pulled them into his chest, burying his face into his knees. What was he doing? He was letting his best friend go away without even a goodbye. But it hurt... it just hurt too much to see her face again, knowing he would probably never see her again after that. Just too painful. He began to cry, sobbing softly as his tears ran down his face to the cold floor below. 

"Kei? Is that you?" 

He looked up and saw a kindly, old, wrinkled face smiling down upon him. He quickly wiped away his tears with the sleeve of his shirt and tried to smile at her, but it only came out as more of a ghastly grin. "Oh... h-hi, Grandma. What d-do you w-want?" He slightly sobbed out. 

Hinata Urashima sighed. Her grandson was really going through a rough time with this whole ordeal. Kei had always had a very kind heart, always empathetic about other people's feelings, always trying to care for other people too. So it was only natural for him to be sad over losing someone who was just like him, both very sweet and _very_ naïve about the world around them. She smiled tenderly. "I was just wondering what you were doing in here. Your friend is leaving. Don't you want to say goodbye?" 

His face contorted into a mask of pain. "But Grandma, I don't want her to leave. I really, really like her and I want her to stay here...!" His head sunk down in shame after his outburst. How could he be so selfish? He might want her to stay, but he knew she couldn't. This wasn't her real home. She had to go back! But... he... 

The next thing he knew, he was engulfed in a motherly hug. Hinata had gathered him into her arms, embracing him warmly. Kei couldn't take it anymore. He burst into tears, crying into her shoulder. Hinata rocked him back and forth, cooing soothing words of comfort until his sobs eventually subsided. She then firmly gripped his shoulders and pushed him back to look at him. He sniffled unhappily, and she smiled before moving a finger to wipe way one of his tear's trails. 

"Now," she murmured. "Don't cry. Be strong. No grandson of mine is going to be a weakling, okay?" 

Kei sniffled again and rubbed his eyes with a balled-up fist. "Okay, Grandma, but-" 

"Ub, bub, bub, bup," she interrupted. Her eyes softened as she watched Kei silently nod his head. She chuckled internally as she saw the battle of emotions being waged behind those warm, chocolate brown eyes of his. He really was a very special boy, and she was proud to have him as a grandson. Hinata laughed softly as she fondly ruffled his hair. "I'm sure you like her, Kei, and I'm sure she likes you too. I'm also quite sure that she doesn't want to leave either because right now, at this moment, she's bawling her eyes out in that moving truck out there." 

Kei's head snapped up from its downtrodden position. "She is?" He asked, sounding almost horrified. Why was she crying? Did he-? He mentally kicked himself. Of course she would be crying! 

His grandma nodded her head sagaciously. "That's right. She's crying right now, but not just because she's leaving. It's because her best friend isn't there to send her off." Her tone took on a harsher quality. "Because he's too wrapped up in his feelings of selfishness and self-pity to bother!" She clamed down as she saw Kei physically flinch. Maybe she went a little too far. Her grandson was one of the most selfless and giving people she knew of. But he was also one of the densest and most stubborn people she knew of also, so he tended to need a good boot every once in a while. "Now, Kei..." She leaned closer until she was barely an inch away from his face. "What would you rather do? Sit here and wallow in your misery, or..." She leaned up and gently kissed his forehead. "See your friend off, and make her happy to know you care?" 

His eyes closed and his face took on a look of concentration. Then his eyes opened again and the corners of his mouth turned up to change from its melancholy look into a tiny smile. "Okay, Grandma," Kei said. "You're right. I'll go right now!" He gave Hinata a quick hug, and then ran for the door. Flinging it open, he rushed out, nearly bowling over another older child. "Sorry, Haruka!" He yelled over his shoulder as he ran down the stone staircase. 

"That's Aunt Haruka to you!" She shouted to him as she rose up a fist. But apparently he didn't hear her because he kept on running and quickly disappeared beyond her range of sight. She sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. 'That nephew of mine...' She felt a hand land on her shoulder and looked up to see Hinata gazing to where Kei had gone. "Oh, hi, Mom," she said. 

"Hello, dear," Hinata replied. She looked down at her and smiled softly, closing her eyes. "Kei certainly is something, isn't he?" She quipped. 

Haruka scowled. "Yeah, I suppose. But he should still treat me with more respect. I am his aunt after all." 

Her mother laughed and squeezed her shoulder. "You're only seven years older than him, dear. You can't expect him to call you 'aunt' when you're more like an older sister to him." Haruka grumbled in resignation. Hinata laughed again. "You know, Haruka, you're eventually going to get that idea stuck in his head, and he'll keep calling you it even when you don't want him to." 

Haruka puffed out her cheeks and looked away from Hinata, pouting slightly. "That'll never happen," she said defiantly. Hinata did nothing but giggle a little into her hand before gazing back towards the staircase. Yes... it seemed the stubborn streak was an inherent of the Urashimas. Ah well, what could you do? She sighed and turned around, heading back into her inn. Haruka took one last look to where Kei had gone before sighing too and heading in after her mother. She could teach her nephew the proper respect for her when he came back. 

Meanwhile, the aforementioned child was running as fast as he could down the staircase to try and make it in time to say goodbye to his friend. He panted heavily as his little legs pumped back and forth, propelling him down the path. Unfortunately, a rock was in his way. His foot caught on it and he went sprawling onto the unyielding ground. He let out a pain-filled whimper and slowly opened his eyes. He hurt _all_ over. He shakily got to his feet and winced as he felt a sharp twang in his knee. Looking down, he saw that it was quite bloody and torn up. Tears welled up in his eyes until he shook his had and began to limpingly run again. No... he couldn't stop now, he just couldn't! he had to say goodbye! He might not ever get another chance. 

He gained speed, hardly noticing the searing pain contained within his leg. Seeing the truck ahead of him, Kei slowed down and steadily made his way over to it. He stopped in front of the passenger's door, took a deep breath and knocked on it. The little girl's head perked up and she looked out of the window. Upon recognizing him, her face lit up into a gigantic grin. She quickly put down the window and jutted her head out of it. "Kei!" She cried out happily. 

Kei looked up ate her, embarrassed, and scratched the back of his head while grinning sheepishly. "Hi." 

She looked down at her lap as an unhappy look flitted across her face. "I almost thought you wouldn't come..." She glanced back up at him and he saw a little wetness gathered in the corners of her eyes. She giggled as she wiped her eyes with her palm. "But you did, and I'm so happy that you did, Kei..." 

He sighed. "I'm sorry, I was just being selfish." 

She shook her head violently. "No! You're not!" 

"But I-" 

"No!" She yelled at him. He quickly shut his mouth and looked at her in a surprised fashion. The girl flung her hands over her mouth and blushed. "No..." She continued in a quieter voice. "You're not selfish, Kei, and I don't think you ever could be. But... listen..." She blushed happily and extended her pinky. "Give me your finger, Kei." He did so, reaching up and linking it with hers. "You've got to promise that we'll go to Tokyo U one day, okay?" 

Kei opened his mouth to answer. "I-" But he was interrupted when another person's voice, an older man's, deep and smooth, spoke up. 

"Okay, sweetie. We've got to go now." 

The engine of the truck sputtered then roared to life and the vehicle began to move. The two children's hands were separated as the girl moved away with increasing speed. Kei stood, frozen to the spot, before he reacted, running on after her. He ran alongside the truck, gasping for air as he tried to keep up, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. Meanwhile, the little girl was crying freely and waving her hand frantically. "Bye bye, Kei!" She cried. "Remember, we've got to meet at Tokyo U one day! Promise?!" 

At this request, Kei's legs finally gave out and he quickly sunk to the ground. He stared as the truck soon disappeared, the little girl's head sticking out and looking at him the entire time. "I..." He slowly rose off of his hands and knees to his feet. Clenching his fists together, he shouted out happily, "I promise! Tokyo University!" With that done, he wiped his eyes of their tears and turned around to head back up the staircase to the inn. When he got to the top, he was surprised to find his grandmother waiting for him. "Hi, Grandma!" He yelled as he ran towards her before tackling her in a hug. 

Hinata eagerly returned the embrace. Smiling down on him, she asked him, "Well, did you say goodbye to your friend, Kei?" 

He viciously nodded his head. "Uh huh," he said. "And guess what, Grandma?" 

"What, sweetheart?" 

His face exploded with joy as his eyes danced with unbound mirth. "We made a promise to go to Tokyo University together!" He giggled. 

"Oh, really?" Hinata laughed. "Well, that's a mighty big promise, Kei." She cocked her head slightly to the side as she looked at him in mock seriousness. "Are you sure you can handle it?" 

"Sure I can!" He said indignantly as he struck a heroic pose. Hinata laughed gaily as she hugged him tightly. Kei was so precious to her, her only grandchild. He was so proud, so innocent, so caring, so loving. Everything a grandparent could ever hope for in their descendents. He was a very special and unique boy. She felt him wince as a pain shot through his leg. He let out a whimper and gripped at his knee. 

She pushed him away a little and bent down to look at his injury. She gasped a bit at how torn up it was. Looking up, Hinata fixed her eyes on him in a stern stare. "Kei... when were you going to tell me about this injury of yours?" She chided. 

"Awww, Grandma..." He groaned. "It's not a big deal! It doesn't hurt one bit!" He slapped it for effect and winced as it stung like hell, gritting through clenched teeth, he said, "See? It doesn't hurt at all. I'm not a weakling. I'm a big boy!" 

Hinata giggled into her hand, her eyes softening with warmth. "That might be true, but even big boys can get hurt. You wouldn't believe how many times your father cried over the simplest bruises and scratches." She laughed as she remembered something. "Why... when he was about your age, he came crying to me when he got a simple papercut!" 

Kei looked astounded. "Daddy cried?" To him, his father was the strongest person in the world, no, the galaxy, no, the _universe_! And he cried over a piddling little injury like getting sliced by a piece of paper? 

Hinata nodded her head. "Yes. Now, come along. We've got to tend to that battle scar of yours." She extended her hand and smiled tenderly at him. "Okay, Kei?" She said in a playful tone. Kei giggled and nodded back, grabbing her hand and interlacing his fingers with hers. The two of them walked back into the inn, laughing with each other and swinging their arms. 

Later that night, Kei, Haruka and Hinata were sitting together in the lobby, playing a good old game of "Go Fish." The two older females were getting their butts kicked by a laughing, ecstatic Kei. Needless to say, neither of them was very pleased by the outcomes of their former games. 

Kei slapped down his last pair of cards. "All right, I won!" He shouted joyfully, pumping his fist into the air as a victory pose. 

Haruka hung her head in shameful defeat. "Not again," she moaned. 

"Dear, are you sure you're not cheating?" Hinata asked. 

"I wouldn't do that, Grandma!" He said, a little offended. 

"Yes, I know that you wouldn't, dear, but how else could you explain winning ten games in a row?" 

"He's got the devil's luck on his side, Mom." Haruka muttered. 

Kei tilted his head. "But isn't the Devil bad, Haruka?" 

Her face twisted into fury. "That's Aunt Haruka!" She screamed. 

The phone ringing halted their impending battle for the time being however. "Excuse me, dears." Hinata said before rising from her seat and heading for the phone. In the background, Kei and Haruka could be heard yelling about what Haruka's proper title was. Hinata laughed before picking up the phone and putting the receiver to her ear. "Hello? Yes, this is she. Who might I ask is calling?" A long pause. Her face registered in shock and despair as it went along. "An accident?! What kind of accident?! Are they alright?!" Another pause. Her face went almost dead. "Yes, yes. Alright, I understand. Thank you." She placed the receiver back onto the cradle and wiped away the vast amount of tears collecting in her eyes. After that, she somberly made her way back to her still warring relatives. 

"Aunt Haruka!" 

"Haruka!" 

"Aunt Haruka!" 

"Haruka!" 

"Aunt!" 

"Haruka!" 

"Aunt!" 

"Haruka!" 

"AUNT!!" 

"HARUKA!!!" 

"Dears..." The two turned their heads, their faces barely centimeters from each other, to see a silently crying, very depressed Hinata. Her hands were tightly clenched together in front of her, her eyes looking at them with such despair and sadness, that it seemed like nothing would ever make them look happy ever again. "I'm afraid I have some bad news." With that, she leaped forward and captured the two of them in a crushing hug. 

"Grandma," Kei's voice strained out within her grasp. "What's wrong? Why do you look so sad?" 

"Yeah, Mom," Haruka added. "What happened?" The last time she had seen her mother act this way was when her father had died from a heart attack. 

"Kei's parents were in an accident." 

"Bro?" Haruka asked. If they were in an accident, why was her mother so upset? Unless... Her mind froze when a thought occurred to her. No, it couldn't be... could it? If that had happened, then wouldn't they be... Her mind couldn't even complete that horrific idea. 

"An accident?" Kei quirked, totally oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. "Are they okay?" 

"No, sweetie..." Hinata's voice broke as she prepared herself for what she had to say next. She blinked, causing big, fat tears to roll down her cheeks and down onto the heads of the children she was holding in her arms. "They're..." She bit her lip and forced herself to continue. "Gone." 

Many years later, fifteen years to be exact, a young man woke up inside of his futon. He was awash in a cold sweat and tears were silently streaming down his face. He slowly sat up, resting an arm on his knee while he rubbed his eyes with the other one as he stared out of the window at the starry sky. 'Can't believe I'm having that dream again.' He turned to look at the clock. It read four-thirty. He groaned and flopped backwards onto his futon. 'It's not fair. I haven't had that dream since forever.' 

He groaned again and turned over, pulling the blanket over him and trying to fall asleep again. After a few minutes, he realized that it wasn't going to happen. He sighed and slowly rose to his feet before walking over to collect his small mirror from his bag. He took it out and looked at himself in it. A boyish face complete with dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes was what he saw reflected in the small mirror. He sighed again as he rubbed at the bags collected under his eyes before shoving the mirror back into his bag. After doing that, he made his way over to the window to look out of it. 

Keitaro Urashima. Nineteen years old and a two-year ronin. For those of you who don't know the phrase, a ronin is a student who couldn't pass the college entrance exams. His reason was because he had made a promise to a little girl when he was about five. That's right... Our little Kei from before had grown into the current Keitaro. But this Keitaro wasn't the same as his younger self anymore. Sure, he's still the kindest person you'll ever meet anywhere, but now... he's a lot more serious, somber, and definitely not at all the playful tyke he once was. 

You see, the accident that was mentioned earlier that included his parents... was fatal. A drunk driver had crashed headfirst into them on their way home, killing the both of them instantly. The driver survived and was only punished by a DUI and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. He was let out of prison five years afterward because of good behavior and was now a productive citizen of the country again. Unfortunately, Keitaro was not so lucky... 

After the accident, Keitaro lost a lot of his faith in humanity. He became depressed, withdrawn because of the lost of his parents. His last living relatives, his father's mother, Hinata Urashima, and his sister, Haruka Urashima, took him in and took care of him from then on. The two of them gave him as much love as they could, which brought him out of his shell somewhat, but he never really recovered all of the way because even though they were kind and caring to him, it still wasn't the same as a mother's and father's love. 

The three of them lived together in the inn Hinata ran until Keitaro reached the age of eleven when Haruka went off to college. That was the last time he ever saw her again. Together, he and his grandmother ran the inn, the last real happy place of Keitaro's childhood. But it wasn't meant to be because at age fifteen he ran away, never to see any of his family again. 

After running away, Keitaro basically lived on the streets. He did have some money, inheritance left over from when his parents died, and used it whenever he needed it. But mostly he held little part-time jobs, raising money for his meager existence. He also sometimes did tricks on the streets for change from the martial arts he had learned while he was living with his grandmother. It wasn't much of a life, but at least he was kind of happy. 

His life was mostly chaotic, always on the edge, but there were always three constants in his life. One, he always kept in contact with Hinata, who was always happy to know that her precious grandson was all right. Two, he continued to practice his martial arts that Hinata had taught him. And three, he kept on studying so that he could make it into Tokyo University. 

You must be asking, "Well, if he ran away, then how could he be hoping to go to college? Wouldn't he have not finished school if her did?" Well, the funny thing is that he never dropped out of school. He finished high school, not very well, he barely passed any of his classes, but he still finished all of his school's requirements. You see, when he ran away, his grandmother never reported him missing. She obviously held him in high enough regard to trust him to be by himself. Pretty good trust in a fifteen year old, but hey, it was _her_ choice. She _was_ his legal guardian. 

In any case, Keitaro did pass high school, but because he was hardly ever in class, only the minimum amount to pass, he didn't get a very good education. He was pretty well-built from his training, but he didn't have the brain to match his brawn. So for the past two years, he had failed his entrance exams. But now... well, there wasn't much he could do now, was there? Anyway, enough of that background check, so let us return to our friend Keitaro back in reality, shall we? 

Keitaro sighed and pushed himself off of the wall to fall backwards onto his futon. He pillowed his head on his hands and stared at the ceiling. For the past two years, he had been living in this apartment. Now that he actually had a permanent stay of residence, his life had settled down a lot more, giving him more time to study and train. It also gave him the ability to receive money from Hinata so that he could stay in this cozy room of his. His grandmother was always very generous when it came to lending him money. He sighed again and took a look at his clock. Five-thirty. An hour had passed? Well, what could he do now? Training or studying? "Better do training," he muttered to himself. "I feel way too jittery after that dream to try and train." 

Deciding what to do, Keitaro rolled back and pushed himself off of the floor to flip himself onto his feet. He stood up and stretched, trying to relieve his muscles somewhat. He then made his way over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a light, cotton t-shirt in which to train in. He quickly changed into them and exited his room by the door to the inner courtyard of the two-story apartment building. He took one quick look and decided to take the easy way down. Planting his hand on the guardrail, Keitaro vaulted himself off of it to land silently on the grass of the courtyard. 

He was very glad that the landlord had decided to put the courtyard there in the first place. It was nice to look at to begin with, a good place to just sit and think in, and a halfway decent place to train. Keitaro gave a quick smirk. 'Might as well get a good start.' With that, he leapt forward and performed a series of flips to land in the center of the courtyard, immediately going into a kata. He still kept the mischievous streak he had as a kid throughout his life. 

He practiced a while, starting with his warm-up exercises before going into the more complex ones. The sun had already risen and he was still going at it, his clothes drenched in sweat and him throwing punches, kicks and various acrobatic moves. By this time, the landlord had awakened and was watching Keitaro as he trained. Such a strange young man, so somber and polite, yet also so full of life and energy. Ahh, kids these days. He shook his head and chuckled before heading towards the young man. "Morning, Keitaro!" He called out. "Up already?" 

Keitaro flipped forwards once more, bowed and turned to face his landlord. "Good morning, Mr. Tanuka." 

Tanuka sighed. "Keitaro, how many times to I have to tell you? Just call me Tanuka." He laughed and put his head into the palm of his hand. "I mean, come on! You've lived here for what, two years? You should know me well enough to not treat me so formally!" 

Keitaro's face formed into a slight frown. "But my grandma always taught me to give people the proper respect." He wiped his brow of the sweat on it and smiled. "You are my landlord, so to me you are simply Mr. Tanuka. No ifs, ands or buts about it!" 

"Have it your way, _Mr._ Keitaro," Tanuka chuckled. 

Keitaro laughed. "Thank you very much, Mr. Tanuka," he grinned sheepishly while scratching the back of his head. 

Tanuka smiled. "Anyway, what are you doing up so early? Have a bad dream or something?" 

Keitaro continued to scratch his head as he remembered the dream he had just had a few hours ago. "Yeah..." He murmured in a low tone. "Guess you could say that..." Was that dream an omen or something? It certainly felt like that. He shook his head and bent down to pick up the towel that he had decided to bring along with him. Swinging it around his neck and gripping the ends, he said, "Anyway, I've got to go inside now before I attract a crowd." He wasn't exactly a "people" person. One of his favorite sayings was, "Three's a crowd." See you, Mr. Tanuka!" 

"Goodbye, Keitaro!' Tanuka replied. "And good luck with your studies!" 

"Thank you!" Keitaro bent his legs and leapt for the railing leading to his room. He grabbed it, performed a handstand for a quick second and landed on his feet before going inside of his room. Tanuka chuckled before shoving his hands into his pockets and walking back to his room. There was never a dull moment around that boy. Never a dull moment at all. 

Meanwhile, Keitaro was back inside of his room. He stripped his dirty clothing off and made his way to the shower. He washed himself and then went back into his room to quickly change into more appropriate attire. He sighed as he grabbed a cereal bar from his stash and began to munch on it while searching around the mess in his room to find one of his books. Finding it under a pile of dirty clothing, he opened it and began to work on the problems inside. However, his mind kept drifting back to the dream he had had. 

He groaned as he slammed his book shut and flopped back onto the floor. He wouldn't be able to study at all because of that damn dream! 'Gah... I'm too easily distracted,' he thought to himself. 'I have really got to learn how to focus like I do when I train.' But... this was no ordinary distraction, this was a dream about his childhood. About his jaded past... well maybe that dramatic, but it wasn't exactly a walk through the roses. His childhood love and the death of his parents. Funny that they would both leave him forever on the exact same day. So ironic... 

Keitaro shut his eyes, trying to remember what his first love looked like. But he couldn't remember her face or her name, only that she always carried a stuffed animal around with her... and that promise. The promise to meet again at Tokyo University. To be together once again. That promise... That pro- 

_"Rrriinngg!!!"_

Keitaro's eyes snapped open and he jumped to his feet in a fighting stance, ready to battle the enemy that invaded his territory. It was then he noticed that it was only the phone ringing, not some dangerous, unknown foe. He let out a short laugh. "Damn, I'm getting too paranoid. Think anyone'll attack me at any second." The phone rang again, interrupting his self-chiding. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," he muttered. He walked over, caught the receiver on one finger and flung it into the air before swiping it with one hand and raising it to his ear. "Keitaro Urashima speaking. Who may I ask is calling?" 

"My, so polite," the voice on the other end of the line said. "But is that any way to talk to your little, old granny?" 

Keitaro's face burst into a huge grin. "Grandma, it's you! How are you? Are you doing well?" 

"I'm doing fine, sweetheart," Hinata laughed. "And what about you? Are you doing okay?" 

"As well as any two-year ronin can be," he snorted. 

"Oh, don't be so down on yourself," she said. "You may not have the brains, but you do have the heart." 

"I'm beginning to think that heart isn't going to be enough, Grandma." Keitaro sighed unhappily. "But what's this about calling out of the blue? Usually I'm the one to call you." 

"What? Can't an old woman just want to have a friendly conversation with her one and only grandson?" 

"Grandmaaa..." Keitaro drew out. He knew that his mother wasn't the type to just call him like this without wanting something in return. He had lived with her long enough to learn that. "Come on. Tell me." 

Hinata sighed. "Oh, all right," she muttered. "Listen, Kei..." He began to become worried as his grandmother used his childhood nickname. This was going to be something big, he just knew it. "I want you to come back to Hinata House." 

He gasped. "Hinata House? Your inn? But Grandma, I-" 

"Oh, please, Kei," she pleaded. "It would mean so much to me if you came back. It's been five years since I last saw you and I'm getting on in my years and I just want to see my only grandson's face one more time before I go on to the afterlife." 

Keitaro was shocked. "Grandma, you're not-" 

"Oh, goodness heavens, no, dear," Hinata interrupted again. "This old bag of bones still has some kick left in her." She laughed for effect and Keitaro couldn't help but chuckle along with the belly-laughing of his dear grandmother. "But in any case, dear, I really would appreciate it if you came back. It could be like old times again. Just you, me, and Haruka." 

"Haruka still lives there?!" He asked excitedly. "How is she? Better yet, does she still insist on being called Aunt?" 

"Well..." She laughed for a short while. "No, quite the opposite actually. When she came back from college, we made fun of her because of it and surprisingly enough, she hated it. Now, whenever someone calls her it, she bashes them over the head and tells them to 'just call me Haruka.'" 

"Yep, just like Haruka," he chuckled. He then shook his head. No, this was no time to get sidetracked. Hinata was asking him to return to her inn, the Hinata House. That place of so many good, yet also so many bad memories. The place of his childhood love and promise, and the place where he learned of the death of his parents. The place where he lived for nearly ten years. The place that he had run away from. What was he to do? He cleared his throat and spoke in a serious tone. "But really, Grandma, you want me to return to Hinata House?" 

"Yes," she sighed, a little annoyed. "I want you to return to Hinata House." 

Keitaro thought a bit before cautiously asking, "What's the catch?" 

"Catch?" She said in an innocent voice. "There is no catch. I just want to see my sweet and only grandchild, that's all." 

He pursued the matter. Living with his grandmother made him tend to walk on eggshells when anything big came up. He learned to never take anything at face value, to always read between the lines and to _never_ trust anyone completely on anything. You might call him paranoid, but being paranoid is when no one is after you, and Keitaro's grandmother was _definitely_ one of the people after him. Strange, yeah, but hey... that's family. "You sure you aren't going to ambush me when I arrive to see how well I've done in my training?" 

"I wouldn't _dream_ of doing that, Kei." He scoffed at her remark. "Well, okay, dreaming and actually performing it are two completely different things..." Yep, _that_ sounded like his grandmother. Keitaro mentally sighed as he shook his head in exasperation. "But I swear, Kei, I won't do that. I promise." 

"You promise?" 

"I promise-promise." 

"Well..." Well, what could he do? Say no and stay in this lonely apartment, futilely (or at least that's what it seemed like) studying to get into one of the most prestigious colleges in the country to just accomplish a promise he made to some girl fifteen years ago, whose face and name he couldn't even remember? Or... could he say yes and return to the place of his childhood memories, see his remaining family members once and try to start all over again? Maybe he could even try to find out more about his promise girl. Or maybe begin training with Hinata again. Or maybe just go to make fun of Haruka once more. To him, the pros pretty much outweighed the cons. Besides, he was just visiting, right? Right. "Okay, Grandma, I'll come back, but...!" He yelled, interrupting Hinata's response. "Only for a little bit, to see if it's worthwhile staying." 

"Oh, thank you so much, Kei!" She cried out. "I promise you won't regret it!" She calmed down and spoke more steadily. "Well, I suppose I'll see you later today then." She broke down into giggles. "Bye, Kei!" 

"Wait, Grandma! Today?! I can't just-" But it was too late. She hung up the phone before he could protest any further. Keitaro sighed heavily as he placed the phone back on its base before falling back onto the floor. 'Great,' he thought. 'Now what the hell am I supposed to do?' He stared at the ceiling before clambering to his feet. 'Well, not like I got anything better to do.' However, a feeling of dread was beginning to settle in the pit of his stomach. That dream Hinata calling him out of nowhere. It was as if someone was piecing his future together like a simple puzzle. Freaky... 

He walked over to his dresser and pulled out the small amount of clothing contained within it. He always traveled light, only keeping a few changes of clothes even though he barely went anywhere anymore, considering he hadn't lived out on the streets for the past two years. He quickly packed them into his bag along with a few other essential items, including toiletries, some textbooks, his scrapbook of photo booth pictures, (he had this strange fetish with them) and some other random things. He also packed in a photo of his entire family before the accident. It showed his mother, father, aunt, grandmother, and of course, him. It was the only picture left that reminded him of a happy time in his childhood. After finishing, he slung his pack over his back and cleaned his room a little, shoving his dirty clothing in one corner, his remaining textbooks and studying stuff in another, rolled up his futon and put it in his closet, and then walked out his door, locking it behind him. 

As he walked along the balcony and down the stairs, he gazed at the sky and wondered what would happen once he returned to his grandmother's hotel. Would there be a lot of changes? Places knocked down, rebuilt or new additions all together? New people living there? Or would it be just like before, with no one staying there and just him and his last living relatives? He sighed and continued. Well, he wouldn't know till he got there, now would he? But little did he know that he would be in for a quite, hmm... _big_ surprise when he arrived. 

When he came to the lobby of the apartment building, Tanuka noticed him and waved. "Hey, Keitaro." 

"Hello, Mr. Tanuka." Keitaro responded. 

Tanuka's eyes switched quickly to the bag on Keitaro's side and then back to his face. He raised an eyebrow. "Going somewhere?" He questioned. 

"Yeah," Keitaro nodded. "I'm going to visit my grandma." 

"Oh, really? That's nice. Well, hope you have a good time." 

"Thank you, Mr. Tanuka. Goodbye." 

"Goodbye, Keitaro." Keitaro bowed once more and walked out the main entrance. Tanuka chuckled before settling back down in his chair. He knew that this was actually a big thing for the young man. He held his grandmother in very high regard from the way he spoke about her. Tanuka also knew for a fact that Keitaro hadn't seen Hinata for a long time now because he had confided that information to him about a year ago. He chuckled again before opening his newspaper and looking at the headline. "Well, would you look at that. 'Neighbors complain about strange noises and explosions from an inn in the Kanagawa prefecture.' Hey, wasn't that where Keitaro was heading?" 

Meanwhile, the aforementioned male was heading for his motorcycle. Ironically enough, he received it as a present for his seventeenth birthday from Hinata. Ironic because this gave him more of a reason to not return home and live on the streets. But instead, he opted to live in his now current accommodations. So now he just used the bike to get around. It certainly saved on money for buses and other public transportation and besides, he enjoyed the way the bike rode. It was thrilling to him quite frankly. He climbed onto it, kicked the jumpstart and rode out of the parking lot. It was time to go... home. 

A motorcycle pulled up to a parking lot and stopped in a lane. The engine died down and the driver put the kick-stop down before climbing off of the bike. He removed his helmet and placed it on the seat before stretching his arms. Keitaro scratched the back of his head as looked around the lot. No cars were found in his sight. Well, that meant two things. One, that no guests were staying at the hotel, at least ones that owned vehicles. And two, his grandmother wasn't home because otherwise he would have seen her rickety, old van. Well, she could have sold it, he supposed. 

Keitaro sighed as he hitched his bag and began to walk. He went along his way until he finally reached his destination. Craning his neck, he took in the view of the over-towering building standing before him. "Wow," he said in a little bit of awe. "Forgot how big this place was." He chuckled softly and closed his eyes. "Guess I've been away longer than I thought, huh?" He murmured to himself. 

He then shrugged his shoulders, stood up straight and moved forward to the entrance. He slid the door open and took a step inside. "Hello?" He called out. "Anyone home?" He moved completely inside the inn and closed the door behind him. "Grandma? It's Keitaro. You here?" Nobody answered his question. He sighed and slowly took off his shoes to slip on the slippers waiting by the door. "Great, now what should I do? She's not even here to greet me. Ungrateful..." He muttered a couple of phrases that the author would rather not repeat. 

After calming down, he walked through the hallways of the hotel, trying to remember how to get to Hinata's room. He had been gone for so long, he got lost a couple of times before finally finding the place he was looking for. And not one sound was heard throughout the entire house. It was like everything was frozen in one instant of time. Pretty freaky, to say the least. "Oh, hey, here it is." Keitaro opened the door and walked in. "Guess I'll just wait here." 

He sat down, leaning back on the kotatsu. He sighed and closed his eyes, beginning the wait for his grandmother. After a while of waiting, however, his patience began to rapidly grow thin. He groaned in frustration and rose to his feet, patted his backside, and then walked out of Hinata's room. 'Grr... damn it. Where is that grandmother of mine? She pleads for me to come back and the doesn't even have the decency to make sure she's here when I arrive.' A flash of red and white caught his eye and he turned to look at a banner hanging over an opening. A smirk rose to his face. 'Oh well, guess I could just entertain myself here.' 

Minutes later, Keitaro was naked and lounging in a very comforting hot spring. He sighed happily as he laid a wet towel over his forehead. "Ahh... feels so nice and warm." He chuckled as he scratched his nose. "Maybe I should stay here after all. They don't have hot springs like this back in Tokyo." A noise was heard behind him and he swiveled around to see what had caused it. A petite foot stepped out of the door and onto the wet stones. 'Crap, person alert.' He sighed and took a deep breath. He then dove down into the hot water. He'd rather not scare the tenants by seeing some random guy just sitting in their hot springs. Might cause a panic. 'Let's see who this guy is.' He opened his eyes and took a quick look. Doing so caused his mouth to drop. 'Oh... crap...' 

A gorgeous young woman, with long auburn hair and a pretty decent pair of... _attributes_ had slowly walked into the hot spring and sat down. "This is so nice and hot!" She giggled to herself. "I _love_ taking a soak during the day. Total heaven!' She raised her arms into the air, giving Keitaro a perfect view of her chest area. His face burst into a horrible blush before he forced himself to look away from her lovely form and huddled into a ball in the water, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. His face was beet red as he struggled to keep calm and not go into a panic attack. 

You see, Keitaro did not interact very well with girls. The only one that he ever did well with was his childhood love, and she was long gone. Right after the death of his parents and lost of his friend, Keitaro had become detached from the world around him. He really didn't care about anything, not family or friends. Eventually, he began to care about his family again, but still had a problem with making new friends. Girlfriends were a totally different story all together. Considering the pain he went through when he was so young, he never really went through the silly crushes and infatuations that many people did during the span of their school years. 

That being said, days such as Valentine's Day really harbored no significant meaning to him. To him, it was just a day where other people wasted money on each other. It was nothing special, just another day in the despicable world he lived in. He lived separate from the world, from everyone, and so a relationship was far beyond his grasp. To put it simply, Keitaro Urashima had never had a single girlfriend throughout the entire nineteen years of his life. So it was easy to say that he definitely did not have very good experience when it came to women. What happened next didn't exactly help matters at hand. 

"Hey, Naru? You enjoying yourself?" 

Keitaro turned his head to see a _new_ female coming into the hot springs. This one had short, brown hair, strangely slanted eyes, which reminded him of a fox, and, if this was even possible, bigger breasts than the first girl. She walked over and sat right next to the first girl. Meanwhile, Keitaro _was_ beginning to get a panic attack as he noticed more things than he usually saw on a girl's body. He screamed internally while feeling he was about to burst. 'Double crap!' 

"Hi, Kitsune," the first girl, Naru, said. Ahh... Kitsune... _That_ would explain the slanted eyes. "Yeah, I am." Her tone got a cheekier. "And guess what?! I think my boobs are getting bigger! See?" She planted an arm under her breasts and presented them to the other girl, Kitsune. 

Kitsune sighed, and then smirked. "They have to be. You eat like a horse!" 

Naru scowled. But then her eyes shone with a mischievous glint. "Maybe..." She slid over to Kitsune and laid a hand on her shoulder. Kitsune opened one of her eyes and looked at her curiously. Naru sighed dramatically. "They're still nowhere near yours, though." She then grinned wickedly. "Let's give 'em a squeeze!" She then leapt onto the fox girl and... Sorry, perverts, this is a PG-13 story, not R, so _no_ graphic scenes. A few seconds later, the two girls had fallen into the deeper part of the hot springs, a tangle of limbs. 

That was the last straw for Keitaro. He couldn't take it anymore. First that girl, what was her name...? Naru, that's it. _Naru_ literally hung her breasts out for her friend to see, and now the both of them were playfully wrestling with each other, both of them naked no less. His blood was boiling like crazy and his lungs were becoming a vacuum. Actually, the latter problem was more or less caused by him holding his breath for about five minutes straight. And the blood boiling? Let's just say a certain member was awakening from its slumber and was very happy with its alarm clock. And that's what caused the upcoming chaos. 

It happened. One of the girl's hands brushed against his little friend. He yelped and burst out of the water, gulping in huge amounts of fresh air. The girls saw him erupt from the hot spring's surface, clutching at a towel around his waist. All three of them froze, the girl's mouths agape and Keitaro's face in a look of pure embarrassment. Naru lifted and pointed a finger at him, trying to speak, but not being able to. He raised a hand behind his head and laughed nervously. "Umm... so sorry. Didn't mean to see anything." He than began to edge his way to the exit. The girls' eyes followed him the whole time. "I'll... just be going now. Bye!" He bolted, leaping out of the hot springs and through the door. 

Naru and Kitsune first looked where the strange man had disappeared and then back at each other. Naru was finally able to speak, but shakily at best. "W-what just happened? Did a g-guy just jump out of the water?" 

"I think so," Kitsune responded. She tapped a finger to her chin and added, "And you know what? He was pretty cute." That actually wasn't all too uncommon for Keitaro. No, not the busting out of the water while two females were wrestling each other mere feet away. I meant the part of being called cute. Many girls actually did find him physically attractive. Unfortunately for him, whenever a girl told him that, he would break down into frantics. 

The girls finally realized what had happened, though, and when they did, they did the first thing that came to their minds. They screamed, very loudly and very angrily. 

"KYAAAAHHHH! There's a peeping tom in the hot springs!" 

Keitaro cringed in the changing room as he heard the screeches emanating from the open doorway. 'Oh crap, oh crap,' he thought hysterically. 'Grandma's going to kill me when she hears I saw some of her tenants naked! This so bad!' He grabbed the basket containing his clothes and ran out of the changing room, holding the basket to his chest. On the way out, he ran into a tanned girl carrying a basket of girl's clothing. "Wha!" He stopped short and gazed nervously at her. 

The girl tilted her head and looked at him curiously. "Who are you?" She asked innocently. 

Keitaro sweatdropped. "Umm... I'm just visiti-" 

However, he was interrupted as Naru burst through the door, clutching a towel around her body. "Su!" She shouted. "Stop that pervert!" 

Su snapped her head to stare at him. Keitaro chuckled nervously before taking the basket from her hands. "Sorry, miss, but I need to borrow this!" He then tossed it and its contents at a rampaging Naru. She slowed down to avoid being hit, and he took his chance to run. It wasn't long before he nearly collided with another young girl coming out of the kitchen with a ladle in her hand. He gasped in surprise before reacting to the only thing he knew of, if an obstacle was in his way, go around it in any way possible, even if it meant going through it. Grabbing the girl's shoulders, he spun her behind him to impede even further the cataclysmic disaster coming quickly after him. "Excuse me, miss!" 

The blue-haired girl stumbled backwards and nearly fell, but was caught when Naru put her arms out. She was fully dressed by now and watched as Keitaro disappeared from sight around the corner. "Damn," she muttered. That pervert had seen her naked and was getting away! She wouldn't stand for this! But first she had to make sure that her friend was okay. "Shinobu, you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" 

Shinobu snapped out of her daze to gaze, startled, at Naru. "N-no," she stuttered. "I-I'm okay. But... what the heck just happened? Who was that?" 

Naru's eyes flattened into enraged slits. "_That_," she growled, malice and spite lacing her every word. "Was some slimeball that was peeking on us in the hot springs." The corners of her mouth curved up into a sadistic smile. "That pervert's gonna wish that he never set foot in this place." Oh yes, she would make him pay. She would make him pay dearly. Her thoughts were interrupted as a teenager with long, raven-black hair ran up to them, carrying a bokuto. 

"Are you two all right?" She asked. 

"Yes," Naru responded. Her voice became low and dangerous. "Motoko, _kill_." 

She nodded. "With pleasure." 

Meanwhile, Keitaro was still running as fast as he could. "Argh! Why do I keep running into girls?! This is an inn, isn't it?! Why aren't there any guys?! I'm going to go insane! What was grandma thinking?!" This didn't make any sense! Why was this happening to him? All he did was try to visit his grandmother, and now he was getting chased by a bunch of angry girls. "This sucks...!" He then heard one of the girls' voices calling out to him from behind. 

"Halt, vile male!" 

"Vile male?" He stopped short and turned around to see Motoko baring her bokuto at him. He sweatdropped as she took a fighting stance and then, launched herself at him. He was shocked as she covered the vast distance between then in a mere instant, and barely had time to dodge as she swung her katana down on his head. He stumbled to the side, regained his footing, and stared angrily at her. "What was that for?!" 

"Quiet! No male is allowed within these walls! I must punish you for violating this place with your vile presence!" 

'What is with this girl?' Keitaro thought worriedly. Not once had he ever known a woman to act this way, and frankly, he was getting both a little nervous and annoyed. Of course, he was also afraid of what his grandmother would do when she found out he had been in a... he looked down at the wooden katana gripped in the girl's hand. A rather... interesting fight with one of the tenants. Even though his Grandma was a very sweet, old lady, when she was angry, she was just downright scary. 

"Look," he said calmly, trying to make the hostile girl in front of him more tranquil. "I don't want to fight you, miss. So please, put that sword away and let's talk about this like civil beings." However, her reaction was not what he had hoped for. 

Shaking her head furiously, Motoko growled, "No! I will not be persuaded by your deceitful words. Now take your punishment like a man!" and with that, she leapt at him. Keitaro sighed internally. Well, if that was what she wanted, he would give it to her. But he would not hurt her, he would never hurt an living being ever again. After the death of his parents, he never wanted any person to feel the pain that he had felt, whether it be physical, mental or emotional. Never again. Moving into a battle stance, he received her attack, reflecting it to the side with a quick slap. Thus the dance of fighting had begun. 

Time after time, Motoko swung her bokuto at Keitaro, and time after time he dodged her strikes. He moved in and out of her attack's path, swiftly melting between her jabs, slashes and overhead swings. He flipped backwards, forwards, side-to-side, all the while trying to move as little as possible to try and conserve energy. His strategy worked. By the time the other girls had arrived, Motoko was beginning to pant and her movements were becoming more sluggish by the second. However, the girls did not notice this as they cheered her on. 

"Woo-hoo! Go, Motoko!" Su cried out. "Kick that pervert's butt!" 

Kitsune perked up an eyebrow and leaned over to Naru. "This is weird, isn't it?" She whispered. "The way Motoko's moving..." 

Naru nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, doesn't it seem like she's... losing? I mean, that guy's dodging all of her attacks like they're nothing." 

And it was true. The young man was easily avoiding all of the female's attacks, a small smile gracing his face as he moved back and forth between her onslaughts. Gazing upon his face, Motoko only became more enraged by the second. How dare this... _male_, do this to her? She could tell he was just playing with her, as if she were nothing but a joke to him. The smile on his face was proof enough. She would not allow this! She would never allow a male to harm her honor! 'That's it!' She thought angrily. 'The gloves are off! I will defeat this man even if it kills me!' 

Jumping backwards, she bent over slightly and panted heavily. Keitaro looked at her with concern. She didn't seem so well. They had been fighting for about fifteen minutes now and he hadn't even broken a sweat while her clothes were already getting fairly damp. He raised a hand to say something, but was shot down when Motoko stood up and pointed her sword straight at him. "Do not mock me, slime," she warned darkly. "I will not take your fake pity. Now, stay still and let me punish you!" She leapt through the air at him, raising her bokuto over her head with one hand and then slashing it down in one strike on his head with all of her strength. "Boulder cutting blade!" The sword sped up, turning into nothing but a blur of light and wood. 

"All right," Naru said excitedly. "It's going too fast! There's no way he can dodge it!" 

And she was right. The sword was moving too fast, too fast to dodge or evade. Keitaro's natural ability wouldn't help him at all. But if there was anything he had learned during his training, it was never to depend on any one thing too much. If he could not dodge... he would parry. Kicking his foot straight up, he blocked the blade with the sole of his foot. This accomplished two things. One, he was able to stop the katana, knocking it from Motoko's grasp and to the floor. And two... well, think of it this way. A man, wearing nothing but a small towel around his waist, moves his leg straight up to his other one. What happens? It's simple. Certain organs that only males have are put into clear view. The reaction to that was quite simple as well. 

The girls gasped in shock. Kitsune and Naru put one of their hands over Su and Shinobu's eyes to prevent them from noticing Keitaro's appendage while covering theirs with the other. Kitsune, being her usual self, slyly peeked through her fingertips. Motoko took a step back, tripped over her own feet, and fell backwards onto her butt. For Keitaro, it took a couple of seconds for him to realize what had happened, but when he did, his reaction was ordinary. He squawked in embarrassment, flung his foot down, covered his lower region with his hands and towel, and squatted down, hanging his head. He looked back up at them, his eyes closed and face flushed, before speaking. "See?" He said unhappily. "You couldn't let me get dressed first? You had to fight me when I had nothing but a towel on?" 

The girls were still in shock after seeing Keitaro's... well, you get the point. Their faces were nearly as red and they were just as embarrassed. Naru was the first to recover, however. Her eyes slanted into an angry look, and she stomped over to where Keitaro was before stopping right in front of him. She looked down on him and spoke in a venomous voice. "Okay, fine, now that you've managed to not only peep on us but also flash yourself to a bunch of innocent girls, what do you have to say for yourself?" Keitaro looked up and saw her. His blush became worse when he realized this was one of the girls that he had seen totally naked. He opened his mouth to talk, but only a strangled noise came out. Naru got angrier as she saw the somewhat lecherous hint in his features. "Well?!" Her voice rose. "Tell us!" 

Keitaro shut his mouth, stood up slowly, and nervously scratched the back of his head. "I'm... sorry," he managed to say. "I truly did not mean to do those transgressions from before. I only meant to visit my grandma here at this hotel." 

Naru's eye twitched violently and her mouth drew into a grim line. "What do you mean, 'hotel?'" her shoulders began to shake and she looked down at her feet. "You expect us to believe your stupid lies?!" She looked back up at him, her eyes full of fury. "This hasn't been a hotel for ages! This..." She shot her hand back to wave at the rest of the girls. "Is a leased apartment complex for women! In other words, a girls dorm!" 

Keitaro's mind froze. This was... this was... "A girl's dorm?!" He squeaked out. 

"Right," Naru nodded. "Now, you just stay tight while we call the cops." She turned around to go. 

"Hey, wait!" Keitaro took a step forward and grabbed her shoulder. She shivered at his touch. It was strange, she had just met this boy, and yet her heart was pounding like a jackhammer and felt like it had been swimming in her stomach. Why was she acting this way? Hmph... probably just because of her anger towards him, that's all. Nevertheless, she obeyed his silent command and turned around to face him. When she did, he realized what he had done and let go of her shoulder as if he had been burned, putting it to his side. He blushed and Naru looked at him with a strange expression on her face. "What do you mean, 'a girls dorm?'" 

She sighed in annoyance. "Just what I said, a _girls_ dorm." 

"I heard you the first time! It's just that-" 

"What's with all the noise?" He was interrupted as a woman's voice called out to the group of girls crowded near him. "I'm trying to relax and all I hear is yelling and screaming." Keitaro's head jerked up as he sensed her walking up to them. Her aura seemed so familiar to him, so... calming. Who was it? The girls were saying something, but he didn't hear them as a woman in her late twenties walked into view, a lit cigarette clenched between her fingers. His eyes gained some warmth as he realized who it was. "Well, well," the woman said in mock disbelief. "If it isn't my prodigal nephew, Keitaro. How you been?" 

Keitaro smirked and scratched his nose. "I'm doing okay. I'd like to ask you the same, but I can't." His smirk grew as his eyes twinkled with mischief. "You've gotten old, _Aunt_." 

Haruka's eye twitched, but then settled back down as she chuckled softly. Moving over to him, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Keitaro, my boy..." she abruptly took her hand off of his shoulder and smacked him in the back of the head. "Just call me Haruka." He grinned sheepishly as he nodded and rubbed at his injury. But whether she was warmly embracing him or kicking the crap out of him, the other girls were totally and absolutely confused as to what was going on. 

"Huh?" 

"So you're telling me this a girls dorm now?" 

After the... _incident_, everyone had piled back into the lobby. Keitaro was fully dressed now and was sitting on a couch across from Haruka as she explained what was going on. The girls were in various places of the room staring as the two conversed with mixed feelings of curiosity, anger, disgust... mostly just the latter two. Keitaro leaned back and looked at his aunt while she continued. 

"Yep," Haruka replied as she took a drag of her cigarette. "Mom left on a world-wide sightseeing tour about a year ago. We only get faxes from her every once in a while. She said she wanted new thrills, so she took her failing hotel and turned it into a girls dormitory." 

Keitaro sweatdropped as he imagined his grandmother cackling off on the other side of the world. He then sighed. This was exactly something that he expected Hinata to do. But why would she lie to him like that? He said as much. "I don't get it. If she's been gone for a year, why didn't she tell me? Better yet, why didn't she tell me she turned Hinata House into a girls dorm?" 

Haruka closed her eyes, sighed, and shook her head. "I honestly have no idea. She didn't say anything to me. But you say she just called you this morning?" He silently nodded his head. She sighed again. "Well, I'm sure she had a good reason to. Maybe you should stay here a little longer until she calls and tells us what's going on." 

Up until this point, the girls had silently kept to the side, only observing as the two relatives talked to each other. But after this suggestion, they were silent no more. Naru slammed her hands down on the table and everyone's head shot around to look at her. "Absolutely not!" She yelled in defiance. 

Keitaro raised a hand to try and respond. "Excuse me, miss, but I-" 

"I said no!" She screamed even louder, literally forcing her face right into his. "This is a girls dorm! We can't have some sicko like you here!" Kitsune, in a futile effort, locked her arms under Naru's and pulled her back away slightly from the anxious ronin. 

"B-but...!" 

This only managed to enrage the young woman even further. She broke away from her friend's grasp and surged forward, sticking a finger right in the hapless boy's face. She began to rattle off his past perverted crimes. "You saw us naked, threw our underwear at us, and did all sorts of disgusting things. You also showed your thing to all of us, even poor Shinobu!" She motioned towards the blue-haired girl sitting only a few feet away. "She's only in seventh grade! What if she's traumatized for life?!" 

"Umm... I'm fine!" Shinobu interrupted as she waved a hand. "Narusegawa covered my eyes before I could really see anything. All I saw was..." Her head snapped up and she blushed before looking at the ground in embarrassment and poking her fingers together. "Urm, never mind. Forget what I just said." 

"Listen..." They turned back to see a somber Keitaro. "I really do understand," he said as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm a guy, and a guy can't stay in a girls dorm, right?" He stood up and hitched on his bag. "Besides, I don't know why I'm here in the first place if Grandma isn't." He bowed to them. "I'm sorry for bothering you all. I'll just be going now." 

Haruka crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Sorry, Keitaro," she smiled ruefully. "I know you would have saved rent here, but the commute would have been hell!" 

"Yeah," he chuckled weakly. "You're right." 

"If I remember correctly..." He twisted his head to look at her. She smiled warmly at his glance. "You're at Tokyo U now, right?" 

"Huh?" 

She raised an eyebrow at his baffled expression. "You'd be a sophomore right about now..." 

He remained silent for a second before laughing softly. He scratched his head as he shook it. "What? Didn't Grandma tell you? I've spent the last two years..." 

"T-T-Tokyo U?!" Keitaro turned around, only to be bombarded by a cascade of shocked and awed females. "Tokyo University?!" 

"Umm..." He sweatdropped from their reactions and took a step back. "Yeah?" He answered, a little confused as to what they were asking him. 

"You're a student at Tokyo University?!" 

"That's so awesome!" 

"Wha?! It is?" He only managed to sweatdrop even more as he kept twisting his head to look at the girls. This was starting to get really weird! This girls thought he was a Tokyo U student? Heh, yeah right! Well, he'd just have to set them straight, now wouldn't he? "Excuse me, but I don't — hey!" The next thing he knew, Kitsune forced him down back onto the couch as she held his shoulders and looked him in the face. 

She stared at him like she was appraising some kind of item at an auction. "Hmmmm..." She murmured, taking in the details of his face. "They say you shouldn't judge by appearances..." 

Su, totally oblivious to what was going on, pointed at him and asked, "What's Tokyo-Ewe? A snack?" Keitaro stole a glance at her. What was with these girls? They were all too weird. Funny, yes, and caring to each other, that too, but they were also the strangest people he had ever met in his life, and he had met a lot of weirdoes in his lifetime. 

Naru huffed. "Even if he's a Tokyo U student, he's still a pervert." 

"What are you saying?" Kitsune asked her friend, a little annoyed at her stubbornness. "We're talking about Tokyo University!" She turned back to Keitaro, who was watching all of them in a confused manner, and lifted her finger as if making a point. "Is it true?! You gotta be in the top percentile for Tokyo U..." 

"Huh? Oh, umm, well right now..." He put his fingers to his chin as he tried to remember what the acceptance grade for the college was. "I think it's the 69th percentile..." 

"Did you hear that? 69th percentile!" 

"O, my gosh! 69th percentile!" 

""Wow! 69!" 

"Does Tokyo-Ewe taste good?" 

"I don't mean me..." Keitaro said desperately. This was really getting out of hand! Now these girls thought he was in the 69th percentile? That was pretty much impossible for him. He _had_ to set them straight! "Listen to me, I-" 

"So, which college?" 

Kitsune's question caught him off guard again. His mind raced as he struggled to put an answer together. Poking his fingers together, he was able to mumble out. "Um, well... The law program is..." 

"Did you hear that?!" Kitsune shouted to the others. "Tokyo U's law program!" 

Keitaro tried to speak up. "Actually, what I'm aiming for is..." But he was only interrupted again as Kitsune continued her rampage. 

"He's going to be a big-shot lawyer or at the ministry of finance!" 

Keitaro was frozen in his seat as the girls continued to speculate on his life in Tokyo U. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed and ashamed as this assault on his fake life kept going on. An ominous feeling settled into the pit of his stomach as he watched the girls converse excitedly with each other. 'This is bad!' He thought anxiously. 'I'm really nothing but a second year ronin, and I'm only in the 48th percentile! This is getting completely out of hand! I've got to do something about it!" 

While he was thinking of a way out of this mess, another was thinking of an idea that would only manage to entwine him even further into the tangled web that was being created by the girls' hasty conclusions. Kitsune put a hand to her mouth as her mind did its best to put this situation to her best advantage. 'So, this guy is in the college of law in Tokyo U? Plus, as the grandson of this dorm's owner, he must be a rich little bon-bon.' She giggled internally as she imagined her glorious victory. 'This is my chance!' Flinging a finger into the air, Kitsune made a proposition. "How 'bout it, guys?! Why don't we let the counselor stay here?" 

Keitaro's face registered in shock and amazement. His head swiveled from its position to stare as Kitsune spoke. "Huh?! Counselor?" Where the hell did that come from? 

Kitsune turned back around to tap him on the nose. "Of course, this is still a girls dorm. If you try anything pervy like you did today, you're out on your butt!" She faced the tenants once again and winked. "Don't you think so?" 

Motoko nodded as she crossed her arms in front of her. "I agree," she said peacefully. "We should be able to trust a university student." 

"Me too!" Shinobu shouted happily. 

"So, it's all decided then!" Kitsune grinned. 

Keitaro tried to speak but was cut off yet again when Naru spoke up. "Hold on, Kitsune!" She said angrily as she advanced on her friend. "This is still a girls dorm. You can't just change it on a whim!" 

"Ohhhh?" Kitsune responded. She rested her chin on a hand, opening one of her eyes to gaze at Naru. "What, Narusegawa?" She asked coyly. "You'd throw out this poor man?" She smiled slyly, her one open eye containing a devious glint within it. "This sweet boy who's stressed over missing his dear grandmother?" 

She was back up when Motoko nodded again. "We all know him now. It'd be so uncool to refuse him." Naru took a step back, surprised at the young girl's agreement. Motoko was allowing a man to stay at Hinata House? This was getting interesting to say the least. 

She turned to try to get help from the youngest two tenants. Unfortunately for her, their reactions weren't what she had hoped for. Shinobu had turned on the innocent puppy-dog eyes, tears gathering at their corners as she pouted sadly. "Don't be mean, Narusegawa!" 

Su followed her up, a giant grin on her face, shooting insult after insult at the pleading female. "Meanie!" She grinned wildly, waggling her fingers in a demeaning fashion. "Old hag!" 

Naru let out a strangled noise before looking down and clenching her fists. She trembled a little while, her emotions and feelings battling within her very soul. She looked back up at them, a defeated frown adorning her flushed cheeks. "Fine!" She said in resignation. "We'll welcome him in... for now!" 

Kitsune nodded her head in approval. She then motioned to the others and they followed her example. Moving in a friendly and welcoming manner, they yelled to Keitaro, "Welcome... to Hinata House!" 

He scratched the back of his head before managing to stutter a reply. "Th-th-th-th-thank... thank you for your hospitality." 

'I hope...' 

A/N: Wow! The first chapter of my new fic is done! I hope all of you enjoyed it! As anticipated, the updates will be long and in-between, the chapters will be quite long, and it will be along story. But hey, you've enjoyed my stories so far... right? Anyway, I'll do the interview now, with Keitaro only and no interruptions, just so I can give you a better idea of his personality. Ready? Here we go! 

Me: Welcome to the "One Kiss Can Change It All" interview! Today with me I have a one, Keitaro Urashima! Mr. Urashima, hello! 

Keitaro: _(bows) _ Hello, Mr. Yamiga. 

Me: I made Keitaro a lot more formal in this stories than you'll see in most, but you can expect that when he lost his parents at such a young age. 

Keitaro: _ (frowns) _ About that, Mr. Yamiga. Did you really have to do that to me? 

Me: _ (smiles sadly) _ Sorry about that, Keitaro. I really am. But I had to give you a dramatic moment in your lifetime to give you the right personality for the story. 

Keitaro: _ (sighs) _ That's alright... I did have a lot of fun at Grandma's, and that's going to give me a good advantage while staying at Hinata House, right? 

Me: _ (nods) _ Yep, that's right. Because you know the inn like the back of your hand, you're going to have a whole lot of fun sneaking around the secret passageways. _ (grins slyly; winks) _It'll even give you the chance to peek on the girls easier. 

Keitaro: _ (blushes) _ Mr. Yamiga! I wouldn't do that! 

Me: I know that, Keitaro. _ (chuckles) _ You're way too proper for that. Anyway, about your properness... I sort of based your personality off of mine a little. You could also say you act a like Kenshin Himura from "Rurouni Kenshin." Both of us have this bad tendency to call people Miss or Mr., even when they don't want to. I still call people my own age Mr. Or Miss without even realizing it. _ (laughs) _ So when you call the girls Miss, it's not the same as the suffix –san. It's more along the lines of –dono, which show that you respect them a lot. 

Keitaro: But I do get along with them, don't I? 

Me: Yep, I also rid you of most of your klutziness curse. Those jokes get old after a while. But also, you have the ability to "sense" the others, so the times when you walk in on the girls when they're semi-naked are gone too. I got sick of those after a while too. 

Keitaro: Well, is that enough? Or should you just ruin the entire plot? 

Me: _ (scratches back of head)_ Yeah, I do think that is enough. Okay, well, I guess the two of us will talk again real soon, but until then... 

Keitaro: _ (bows) _ Please Review! 

A/N: Well, is that good enough for ya? I gave a pretty good explanation on Keitaro's new OOC-ness, didn't I? In any case, I really hope you enjoy my new fic just as much as you did "And Life Goes On." And if you don't... I'll just keep writing until someone does. But I'll see all of ya some other time, but until then, please review, and remember, no flames! 

_Preview! _

Next Chapter: Little White Lie 

He sighed in desperation. Well, thinking too much about it wasn't going help too much, now would it? He sighed again and began to lean back when something caught his eye. It opened in awe and he stood up slowly before walking over to lean on the railing of the hallway and took in the view. "Wow..." Keitaro murmured. "The sea... Forgot how cool the view was from here." He sighed as he settled his elbows on the railing and gazed at the scenery. Fluffy, white clouds moved lazily through the big, blue sky as the waves of the sea gently lapped against one another. 'Than again,' he thought bitterly. 'I seem to be forgetting a lot of things lately...' 


	2. Lost in the Moment

A/N: Hey, people! I'm baaacckk! Have you been lonely without me? No? _(sighs) _ Well, I should have expected as much. Sorry for updating so slowly, it's just that I've not only been really busy, but I've also gotten a lot of new story ideas from new Love Hina's to Threads of Fate's to Outlaw Star's. I've got so many that I don't know what to do with all of them. All I can do is write them all down and hope that you like them as much as you liked my previous works. Anyway...here's the new chapter of "One Kiss Can Change It All" that I've changed to "A Moment Worth A Lifetime." Decided that the first title was too cheesy. Enjoy! Oh, but first a thanks to my reviewers... 

**Artful: ** I do want to continue this. Thank you for the review. And I will again as soon as possible

**SG: ** I will. Thank you

**Aledeth: ** thank you for finding Kei's new personality just as enjoyable as before. I will continue and finish this fic. I'm looking forward to it just as much as you are

**GC-eva-fan2.0: ** thank you for the review. Nice to know you like his OOC-ness

**migele: ** urm...thank you? I'm not sure what MA stands for but I hope it's something good...or bad? Maybe? Anyway, thank you very much

**keitaromokoto 4 ever: ** urm...sorry. The hater of all perverts is not who you think it is. Remember, there's another person who hates all perverts...please don't stop reading the fic because you don't like the pairing. It ruins the read for both you and the author. But...thank you anyway

**Kara: ** urm, again I don't know what that term means...A Johnny Sue? Anyway, please keep reading as it does get better...I think _ (laughs) _

**Niak: ** thank you for the review. I like the fact you re-read it again just to review. And about the long chapters? That'll depend on whether I'm being a lazy ass or not. _ (laughs) _ In any case, here's another long chapter, 15 sheets worth in my notebook. Though since I have such tiny ass writing it should be greater than that! XD hope you like!

**Gothmog: ** thank you so much for liking this new story. I know I've gone a bit off from my earlier ones by setting in the very beginning of the series and killing off Keitaro's parents, but I decided to make some other genre's the main ones instead of comedy. You understand, right? And no...this will not change any pairings. This is also a N/K story, so I hope that those who don't like these kinds don't flame me to the ends of the earth for it. In any case, thank you for the review

**Sexybish666: ** thank you for saying that you like Kei's new personality. I based him off of Kenshin from the series "Rurouni Kenshin" and I hope I captured a pretty good idea of how he acts. Yes, he is more calm and collected, however...though he's not a spaz anymore, he still has trouble interacting with other people. So don't expect him to be hitting on any of the girls any time soon, k? _ (winks) _

**Rainer Aquarias: ** thank you very much for the review. Nice to know people like my bizarre sense of humor. The tiny jokes are usually more funny then the complicated ones, as I've been told multiple times. Anyway, thank you. I hope to hear from you again

**White Rabbit: ** although I probably know who the person writing this is, thank you very much White Rabbit. May you like this fic as much as the next one

**Ular: ** thank you so much for mentioning my two earlier fics. It means a lot that people not only like my current works but also my first ones too. I also appreciate that you understand how I don't always have the time to write between school, work, and family obligations. Thank you!

**Android K: ** 'ello! You unhappy because this fic's a PG-13? You letch! _ (laughs) _ anyway, thanks for helping me out with some of my stories. Hope to see some of yours also very soon. Catch ya later! Oh! Before I forget...you're also in this fic's interview too now. Ain't ya jumping for joy?! Ain't ya, ain't ya! Well, if not...you should be! XD

**someone: ** thank you for the review. And yes, it will be following the basic storyline of the series much like ALGO, but Keitaro is much more mature in this fic, don't ya know, so there will be a lot more changes and maybe some completely different situations for the original. Hope you likey!

**Kei-kun: ** thank you for the kind review. Hope you like this one too

**Knight's Shadow: ** thank you. I will

**zero: ** thank you so much for the great review. It's nice to know people like the energy I put into the background of the story. Although I'd rather not have killed Kei's parents, it was easiest way I could think of changing his personality into that certain type. Hope you don't hate it too much! Thank you!

Thank you to all of my reviewers!

Disclaimer: I, in no way, shape or form, own any of Love Hina. Ken Akamatsu does and I highly doubt he will ever give me the rights to it. So all I can do now is write stories based on Love Hina. Please do not sue! Because if you do... then I probably won't be able to do anything about it at all.

**A Moment Worth A Lifetime   
Chapter 2: Lost in the Moment   
By Yamiga'sLight**

"Oh boy...Things have really gotten screwed up, haven't they?"

Now that the girls had accepted him into the inn, Keitaro had made his way back to the landlord's room and was now sitting on the floor, contemplating on what to do. "What _should_ I do?" he asked himself. "Everyone's got it all wrong...I'm not a Tokyo U student! I'm just trying to get in!" How did he get into this crazy mess anyway? No, forget that, why was he still here in the first place? He couldn't interact with women all that well, so why was he staying in a girls dorm? Not only that, but why had his grandmother lied to him?

He sighed in desperation. Well, thinking too much about the unknown wasn't going to help him, now would it? He sighed again and begun to lean back when something caught his eye. It opened in awe, and he stood up slowly before walking over to lean on the railing of the balcony and take in the view. "Wow..." Keitaro murmured. "The sea...Forgot how cool the view was from here." He sighed as he settled his elbows on the railing and gazed at the scenery. Fluffy, white clouds lazily moved through the blue sky as the waves of the ocean lapped gently against one another far below. _Then again, _ he thought bitterly. _I seem to be forgetting a lot of things lately. _

His thoughts quickly reverted back to the matter at hand, however. He groaned at the compromising situation that had occurred from one little misunderstanding leading to another. What the heck was he to do? He began to chuckle softly as he remembered what had caused them to jump to conclusions in the first place. "Man, Tokyo U's name is so powerful. Haven't seen girls get so excited over me like that in years." He shook his head as more memories flitted back to him. "Well, at least not since my first love. Geez, five years since I first left here. What a day!"

He was so engrossed in his own thoughts he didn't even notice the person sneaking up behind him until she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Who you talkin' about?" she asked slyly. "Your childhood sweetheart?"

His head snapped around to see a grinning face that reminded him of a fox. His eyes widened in surprise before they settled back down. "Oh, hello Kitsune-dono," he smiled.

She backed away a step, shoving a hand into her pocket. "Hey, you remembered my name!" she laughed. She lifted a finger to point at Keitaro. "My real name's Mitsune Konno." She winked and grinned in a friendly manner. "Otherwise know as Kitsune! Pleased to meet you!"

"Umm, pleasure to meet you, Mitsune-dono." Keitaro bowed. "My name is Keitaro Urashima."

She raised an eyebrow. "You always do that?" He looked at her with a questioning look on his face. What did she mean? She answered his silent question quickly enough. "I mean do you always treat people so formally like that? With the dono and all, that is."

A confused expression formed o the young man's face. "Formally? I'm just giving you the proper respect. You are just a tenant in my grandma's inn, neither a friend nor a..." At this, a blush manifested itself on his face. He shook his head and chuckled softly before continuing. "_Nor_ a romantic interest, so I must treat you the way that is most proper towards you." He finished the explanation with a quick smile before leaning back on the railing and staring at Kitsune.

The young woman's face registered in slight surprise. Well, this was going to be a little tougher than she originally anticipated. This guy was no innocent, helpless lad that she could easily manipulate into doing whatever she wanted. She sighed internally before prepping herself to continue the silent battle. "Okay," she said. "But if you're going to call me dono, at least call me Kitsune-dono." She giggled sweetly. "I don't know when someone even considered me a lady let alone so formally." Keitaro nodded, and she cheered mentally in her small victory. She decided to move on.

Giving the sweetest and most simpering schoolgirl expression she could muster, Kitsune looked innocently at him. "So, you're a Tokyo U student, Keitaro?"

He frowned. "Um, actually...about that Tokyo U business. I'm really..."

"Oh, don't worry," she said as she moved to his side and squeezed his shoulder. "I know all about it."

Keitaro sighed in relief. _Oh, good, she understands. _ He smiled, gratefully before saying, "Thanks for understanding. I didn't..."

"What?" she grinned back at him. "Know that Tokyo U students aren't men too? I'm sure you need to peep and act horny and pinch panties every once in a while, right? Otherwise, I'm sure you'd explode from sexual tension!" She giggled into her hand as she gazed at him. "You letch!"

His mouth dropped to hang a bit agape at her statement. What was with all of these women? Did they always think so dirtily like this? He groaned as he dug his face into his hands and leaned back on the railing. "Why do I even bother?" Keitaro muttered to himself.

Kitsune apparently didn't hear him because she then frowned and leaned on the door to Keitaro's room. "But wasn't she an ice queen?" she asked enigmatically.

Removing his face from his hands, he looked back up at her. "Huh? She?"

"Naru Narusegawa," Kitsune answered. "She wanted to throw you out because you saw the both of us totally nude."

Keitaro blushed at the memory. He sighed and closed his eyes, tilting his face to gaze at the ceiling as he opened his eyes again. "You mean the girl with the long hair?" he quipped. The small frown returned to his face as he studied the various cracks imbedded in the ceiling above him. "Her name is Narusegawa?" he mumbled quietly. Where had he heard that name before? Somewhere from...

"Oh?" Kitsune opened both of her eyes and tilted her eyes to look at him coyly. "So, Keitaro..." she smiled softly. "Does that mean you like long-haired girls?" She giggled as Keitaro's face burst into a terrible blush as he struggled to piece a simple sentence together. However, all he managed was a bunch of broken words. Her ego grew as her mind kept trying to successfully trap the young man. _When you look closer, _ she thought joyfully. _He's a lot more innocent than I first thought. This might be easier than I thought. _ In any case, it was time phase two of her plan. Grabbing his hands, she asked, "Keitaro, do you have a girlfriend?"

He froze at the rather tactless question. "Huh?!" he responded frantically. He then calmed down enough to reply rationally to her inquiry. "N-no...I don't have one Kitsune-dono...Why...?"

Well, another small victory. At least he was already taken. That would have made the entire situation a _lot_ trickier. "Oh, really? That's good. The truth is..." She blushed prettily, put a hand up to her cheek, and turned her head to gaze shyly away from Keitaro. "I've always wanted a boyfriend who goes to Tokyo U."

Keitaro almost went into frantics again, but a thought pushed it way through the recesses of his brain and before he could even reconsider, he spoke it. He scratched the back of his head and looked apologetically at her. "Urm, not to be rude, Kitsune-dono, but isn't that a bit of a... _shallow_ desire?"

She cringed internally at the setback. _Damn, this ain't looking good_... She took a deep breath and plastered the sweet, bashful smile back on her face. "Maybe..." she murmured. "But it _would_ be a nice perk, having a strong, smart college student as my boyfriend." She playfully winked an eye, and Keitaro could feel his girl-panic rise to the surface again. His blush got worse and he began to sweat abnormally. "I know I shouldn't this without knowing how you feel..." Kitsune stopped her abstract finger twirling on the wall to walk over to him. "But..." She took his hand into hers. "What do you think of me?"

Keitaro's mind nearly broke at that point had it not been for the tiny, nagging feeling tugging at the back of his mind, telling him to be careful and not trust this fox girl completely. "K-Kitsune-dono! W-what are you trying to say?!"

She answered his questions in a way least expected. "Put your hand here." She guided his hand to land on one of her breasts. She blushed and smiled teasingly at him. "Can you feel my heart racing?"

Okay, so...some girl that he had _just_ met had made him touch her in one of her forbidden zones (at least to him.) What the heck was he supposed to do now? Easy, the only reaction that his girl-anxious brain knew. He yelped in fright and flung his hand from her chest, stumbled backwards, and fell. He landed on his back and scuttled away from Kitsune before banging his head on the wall. Keitaro winced in pain as he felt the lump forming on his head. Noticing the annoyed look on Kitsune's face, he blushed when he fully understood what she had done. "K-Kitsune-dono!" he stuttered. "W-what was that for?!"

She bent over, giving him an ample view of her cleavage. "I thought that was obvious," she whispered seductively.

"B-but you said that if I did anything pervy, I'd be thrown out!" He sat up and pushed himself against the door to try and be as far away from the sultry female as possible. "Besides..." he stalled, trying to think of an excuse to get out of this scary and unusual situation. "What if the others found us?"

Grinning, Kitsune advanced on the helpless young man. "It can be our dirty, little secret." She finally reached him and bent over, her face barely an inch from Keitaro's. "And how are they gonna find out, hmm? _You_ gonna tell them?" She cheered mentally as a look of defeat formed on his face. Now it was time to claim her hard-earned prize. She slowly began to lean in.

It was then Keitaro heard what sounded like a large thump coming from behind the door (the one that he was currently trying to melt into.) He grinned helplessly. "I think that they already-" The door was forcefully slid open and he fell backwards again. "Ouch."

Standing there in the doorway was Naru, full of disbelief and rage, with a grinning Su flanking her on one side and Motoko unsheathing her katana on the other. "Hey!" she shouted. "What do you two think you're doing?!" Her face changed into a look of confusion when all she saw was Kitsune on her hands and knees with an irritated expression etched within her slanted eyes. Naru tilted her head, and Kitsune responded by pointing at her feet. She looked down to see a weakly smiling, closed-eye Keitaro. She blushed as she realized that if he opened his eyes he would a perfect view of her unmentionables. To make sure that he didn't, she lashed a kick at his head. "Stupid pervert!"

Keitaro's hand shot out and caught her foot before it made contact with his skull. "Naru-dono," he said pleasantly enough, though everyone there could hear the warning tone underlying his words. "If you're going to assault someone, at least have a perfectly good reason to do so, not because of a position _you_ put them in." He pushed her foot aside and stood up. He continued, brushing off his shirt while not even looking at the girls as he spoke. "As much as you _think_ I'm a pervert, I assure you that I am not."

He finished brushing and looked up at Naru, giving a smile that gave off nothing but merriment, surprising the teenager. "But if you want to call me a pervert you can." He chuckled as he turned around. "I really couldn't care less! Though if you must see me as that, I suggest you take Kitsune-dono and leave. It's not polite to just barge into someone's room uninvited and then insult them."

Needless to say, all of the girls were rather surprised by his firm yet gentle speech. Naru merely nodded dumbly, grabbed Kitsune's arm, and dragged her out of the room, closing the door behind them. After hearing the door shut, Keitaro took a quick look over his shoulder, confirmed that the door was indeed shut, and sighed deeply before collapsing to the ground on his butt.

_Oh, God, _ he thought desperately. _What the hell have I gotten myself into? This is just getting worse and worse by the second. _ He glanced at his hand, curling it into a fist and then uncurling it. _Well, it was nice for a first time but I'd it had been someone I was actually involved with_... He groaned, knowing what Kitsune had tried to do. He had realized it after seeing the guilty look she had given when she had left, as if apologizing for something. Now he knew what she was apologizing for. _And not someone who was trying to seduce me for their own purposes... _

He sighed again as he looked around the room. "Been so long since I've last lived here. Wonder if anything's really changed..." He got up and walked over the row of pictures sitting on the dresser. He picked one up. In it, he saw something that brought tears to his eyes.

A young Keitaro was being carried on his father's shoulders, grinning happily with one of his front teeth missing. His father, Kenchi Urashima, was holding onto his leg with one hand and holding his mother's, Minako Urashima, shoulder with the other. Minako was sitting down, grasping her husband's hand fondly, a kind smile on her face. And Kenchi, he was also smiling, but it was more of a stern smile, his lips only a little curved at the corners. But his eyes...his eyes were filled with warmth and laughter. Something in Keitaro's heart broke at that moment, releasing emotions he wished he never had.

_It's been too damn long... _

Small tears began to trail their way down Keitaro's face. _Too damn long of being alone_... The trails became longer as more painful memories resurfaced once more. _Too damn long after losing almost everyone that I've ever cared about_... The tears grew heavier, and Keitaro clutched the picture to his chest, panting as gasping as if out of breath. _Too damn long with nothing to care for_... He sunk to his knees, his eyes now a raging waterfall, unleashed by the feelings of lost, despair, and sadness that were uncovered by that simple family photo. He bent over, sobs wracking his body as he cried his entire soul out.

_Just too...damn... _long...

Outside his door, Naru paused in knocking on it, listening to the heart wrenching sobs coming from inside. Was...was that no-good, lousy, worthless pervert...crying? She quietly slid the door open a crack and peeked inside. There, bent over on the floor, was the crying fake Tokyo U student, clutching something to his chest that seemed to be the only thing keeping him from losing his very sanity. Little did she know that the picture was what had triggered turning him into the sorry excuse for a human that she saw in front of her.

She closed the door again before turning around to lean backwards on it and stare at the ceiling. She sighed once before closing his eyes and making her way back to the lobby where Su, Motoko, and Kitsune were waiting for her. Kitsune sat up quickly from her lounging position on the couch and fully opened an eye after seeing the somber Naru's face.

"So...? Did you tell him where the bathroom was?"

Naru shook her head. "No. I was going to but I..." She trailed off, and Kitsune raised an eyebrow at her reluctance to continue.

"But you what?"

"I...I found..." She sighed and took a deep breath before finishing her sentence. "I found him...crying."

All of the other girls' face formed into one of surprise at her remark. He was what? Motoko was the first to respond. "What do you mean, 'he was crying?'" She leaned forward and looked at the older girl with both interest and intrigue on her face. "You mean he was actually crying? Like with tears and everything?"

Naru nodded. "Not just tears, I mean _crying_. The guy was bawling like a little baby. He was curled into the fetal position, pushing something into his chest, and literally running the waterworks." She sighed before sitting onto the couch next to Kitsune. "I just don't get this guy." The others crowded around her to hear what she meant. She put a hand to her forehead, covering her eyes. "I mean, we've known the guy for less than a day, and he's already shown several different personalities. First, he's some sicko pervert who was peeping on us. Then he's a Tokyo U student and all of a sudden becomes Mr. Serious. And now...he's like a little lost kid."

"Maybe he has spilt personalities or something," Su joked. The others just looked at her. She smiled nervously at her bad humor before looking down at her hands.

Naru shook her head in exasperation. No, that couldn't be true, it was just too weird...like Su. Even if Keitaro was a bit strange at times in the short period they had known him, he wasn't mentally unstable.

"No, I don't think that's it," she said. "It was like...it was like something was really tearing him up inside. Like he was a little kid again. I mean..." she pulled her feet onto the couch and gathered them into her chest. She groaned. "I don't really know how to explain it. It's just that, when you look at him, and he smiles..." She hesitated when she saw the perplexed looks on the others' faces. "His smile and expression are just so...so empty and sad, it hurts. It actually _hurts_ to look at him. And...I can't help but feel sad for him, too."

"Naru-sempai." The young woman looked up from her knees to see Motoko with a strange look on her face. "Don't tell me you actually feel sorry for him. I thought you absolutely despised the man." One of her eyebrows quirked, and she looked at her with a slightly amused air. "Or could it be that you're actually falling for him?"

Naru's jaw dropped. That was totally absurd. How could Motoko even ask she something like that? Of course she could never have feelings for a pervert like that! But then, what could explain that...feeling she had received when he done the simple act of touching her shoulder from before? No! she refused, absolutely _refused_ to have feelings, other than hate and loathing, for some slimeball who she had met only a few hours ago. And he had seen her completely naked, no less!

Naru shot up from her seat on the couch to glare perilously at the kendo girl. "Motoko! How could you even think of something like that! I could never like someone like him! He's but an idiot, a slimeball, a pervert, a – Kitsune, what the hell are you doing?!"

During her tirade, Kitsune's eyes had widened to about the size of saucers. For some reason, unknown to Naru, she kept waving her hands in front of her wildly and making slicing motions across her throat. By the time Naru had noticed what Kitsune was doing, Su and Motoko were looking past the fiery redhead with twin looks of surprise and shame. Naru finally realized they weren't looking at her but _behind_ her. Her stomach gained a feeling of dread, and it was only confirmed when she heard Keitaro's calm and steady voice behind her.

"Naru-dono, just as I'm sure you would not like someone to spy on you and then talked about it, I'm also quite sure I would appreciate it if you didn't do that to me either. So please refrain from these activities any further and I know we'll get along just fine. His tone reverted back to its cheery, mischievous form. "But besides that, just _what_ was it that you wanted to tell me?"

Naru turned around. What she saw was probably one of the biggest oxymoron that she knew of. Keitaro was smiling but, just like she had said from before, it was simply...empty. There was no actual mirth contained in that void of a smile. And his cheeks...they were literally _stained_ with the tears he had shed not too long ago. Naru's heart couldn't help but break a little at the desolate expression on the young man's face.

"I..." She tried to speak and was just able to, but still...that _smile_ of his. "I just wanted to tell you where the toilet was."

"Oh, is that all?" He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Down the hall, third door on the left, and make sure to juggle the handle or otherwise the entire room gets flooded?"

Blinking in surprise, Naru simply nodded. "How...how did you know that?"

Meanwhile, Keitaro had his chin in a hand and was looking off to the side of the floor while quietly muttering to himself. "Grandma still hasn't fixed that thing yet?" He sighed. "Why am I not surprised?" He looked back up to see an extremely annoyed Naru due to his ignoring her. He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, sorry," he said. "I lived here for a while up until five years ago, so I know most of the quirks the building has." He chuckled again as he remembered something. "Like the faucets for the bath. They still explode if you turn them too fast?"

At this, Su shot up and grinned ecstatically. "Yep!" she cried. "They're just so much fun! You turn them and go flying! Just like this!" Barely finishing her sentence, she launched herself at Keitaro. He didn't even have time to react as she knocked him to the floor and then flipped off of him to crouch by his feet like a cat. "See? Wasn't that just tons of fun?" Keitaro just remained inert on the floor. Su crawled around his side and poked his cheek with her finger. He only groaned in response. Su put the same finger she had poked him with to her mouth and turned her head to gaze worriedly at the others. They were in plain shock at her sudden attack. "Oopsie..." she mumbled guiltily. "I think I broke him."

"You didn't break me, miss."

Su spun back around to look happily at a slowly gaining consciousness Keitaro. He rose from his position on the floor to sit up, holding both sides of his head in his hands. He groaned again as he rubbed small circles around his temples, trying to soothe the throbbing pain that had resulted when his head smacked against the wooden floor.

"Though the last time I was knocked out like that was when I fell off the roof of my apartment building and onto my manager's flower garden." He grimaced at the memory. Tanuka had thoroughly chewed him out after he had crushed his treasured flowers. Keitaro had been punished by having to take care of the plants till they were back to their original selves. "Luckily I wasn't really injured."

"You fell off your apartment building and didn't get hurt?" Kitsune asked with a bit of awe.

"Eh heh..." He scratched his cheek. "No, only a few bruises and a mild concussion. For some reason I'm really tough when it comes to accidents. It's helpful when I mess up during training."

Motoko nodded her head. "Yes, that would make sense." That would explain why during their fight he seemed to move so effortlessly. He had had some type of training in the martial arts. However... "But I do have one question for you." Keitaro looked at her in awareness. "How come you were able to block Naru-sempai's and my attack so efficiently, and yet Su took you down in one move?"

He tilted his head and looked at her anxiously. "Do you really want to know, Motoko-dono?" She merely stared at him sternly, answering his questions with her eyes alone. "Because Motoko-dono...Su-dono had no malice in her attack, only a playful desire. Since she did not want to hurt me, I saw no reason as to defend myself from her." Keitaro let out a bitter chuckle, one that almost scared the girls. "However..." He leaned over, a smirk on his face, his eyes contradicting it with an cross glare. "You and Naru-dono had nothing _but _malice in your attacks. You both severely wanted to hurt me. And on that note..." He grunted, standing up and patting his backside. "I think it would be best if I left, before I incur anymore of your wrath." He bowed to them. "Sorry if I was rude. Good-bye now." He abruptly spun around, put his hands behind his back, muttered something under his breath, laughed, and then quickly walked out of the room.

Kitsune watched him leaved and faced Su, the closest to him before he left. "Su, what did he just say?"

The young foreigner cocked her head. "I think I was something along the lines of, 'If this is the way all women are, I'm glad I've never had a girlfriend.'" She blinked and looked back to where Keitaro had disappeared. "He's never had a girlfriend? How come? He's funny and cute..."

However, none of the others were really paying attention to what she said. Only one though passed through all of their minds about the young man. _What a strange guy_... They'd just have to learn about him, whether it'd be sooner or later. He was that much of an enigma, needing to be solved.

_Jeez, what a strange bunch... _

Keitaro was making his way through Hinata House with no particular destination in mind. They were a strange bunch indeed – first trying to kill him, then seduce him, and then articulate the very depths of his soul. That's right; he had had come to the lobby early enough to hear them talking about his so-called "personalities."

_But still... _ he thought mirthfully as he rubbed his nose. _I haven't had this much fun in a long time. _ His mouth drooped into a frown. _But it's all based on a lie! The only reason I'm here is because they think I'm a Tokyo U student! _ Keitaro stopped and angrily lashed his foot at an innocent wall. It caved in easily enough, but he didn't notice or, if he did, did not care. "Damn it! Even if they did try to hurt me they're all still really nice people, I just know it!" He sighed and began to walk again. _I really do wish I could have met them under different circumstances. _

Keitaro winced in discomfort as he walked into the courtyard of the inn, the sun unexpectedly shining in his eyes. It was just like from before, light blue and seemingly never-ending. He sighed, shoved his hands into his pockets, and began walking again. _What am I doing, thinking about the damn sky? I've got worse problems on my mind right now. _ He sighed again. Thinking back to his conversation, he realized that one of them had been missing. _Let's see_... He began to count the girls off of his fingers. _There's Naru-dono, Kitsune-dono, Motoko-dono, Su-dono, and... _ He scratched his head in confusion. _Who was the last one? _

"Um...hello!"

Lifting his head, Keitaro saw the person that had been eluding his mind. The young blue-haired girl was standing a few feet in front of him, looking down at the ground and fidgeting with a book she held at about waist level. He smiled. "Oh! Umm, hi! You're Shinobu-dono, right?"

She bowed. "Y-yes! M-my name is Shinobu Maehara!" Throughout the entire time, she never looked at his face, only at the ground. "Umm, err..." She lifted a finger to her mouth and raised the other with the book in it up shyly. "I was wondering if you could...check my homework for me."

_Well, I should be able to handle middle school problems. _ Making his decision, he smiled. "Sure, I'd be glad to! But..." Shinobu lifted her head to see him smile ruefully and point at his face. "Do you mind if I wash this first? I just cried a little earlier and I doubt you'd want someone with tear streaks sitting right next to you. Be a bit depressing, wouldn't it?" She nodded quietly. Keitaro flashed her a quick smile. "Thanks."

After swiftly washing his face, Keitaro joined back up with Shinobu. The two of them sat down on one of the porches. "So, what do you need checked?" he asked.

Shinobu handed him the workbook and pointed out the beginning of her homework questions. "Right here."

He nodded and took a quick look at her work. But...why was it so hard to read all of a sudden? "Oh, almost forgot." He set the book down on his lap and began patting his chest. "Where'd I put those things?" he muttered softly. Shinobu watched in interest as he continued to pat his chest. Then a look of realization appeared in his eyes, and he slipped his hand into his pants' pocket before fishing out a pair of glasses. He flicked them open and slid them onto his face, the words coming into better focus as he did so. He then caught Shinobu looking at him. "Mmm?" Keitaro smiled. "What is it, Shinobu-dono? Do I have something on my face?"

She blushed and shook her head. "No, it's not that. It's just that, uhh..." She pointed at the large, rectangular frames that were perched on his nose. These glasses gave him a totally different look, projecting the image of an absolute bookworm, one that did nothing but study in a library all day. Or at least...that's what it seemed like to her. "Your glasses. I didn't know that you wore them."

Keitaro scratched a cheek in confusion before chuckling softly. "Oh, you mean these?" He took them off and held them in front of him while gazing at them mirthfully. "Yeah, I do. Wear them, I mean." He chuckled as he remembered something. "I can still recall I hated wearing them when I first got them. But..." He put the glasses back on and used a finger to push them back up the bridge of his nose. "Without them, I wouldn't be able to read. So I guess it's good that I have them, huh? In any case, I better check this, shouldn't I?" With that, he went back to the homework.

As he looked over it, his full concentration on just it, he didn't notice Shinobu holding her head in both her hands and gazing at him fondly. He, a Tokyo U student, was so nice to help her, a simple seventh grader, like this. _And not only is he really nice, _ she thought wistfully. _He's really sweet, too...And also kinda cute. _ A small blush rose to her face at this thought, but Shinobu kept silent as she watched Keitaro finish the rest of her math.

"X-squared plus..." Keitaro mumbled absently. "If you substitute the y in here, you're okay!" He smiled as he handed her book back to her. "That's how it goes."

"Thank you so much," Shinobu laughed gaily as she took the book from his hands. She laid it next to her and then clapped her hands together. "Oh, right!" She twisted around to pull out a small bowl of cookies. "I made some cookies," she smiled. "Want some?"

"Huh?" Keitaro pointed at himself. "These are for me?" Shinobu nodded happily. He thanked her gratefully before taking one and popping it into his mouth. He chewed a bit before a dreamy look settled on his face. "Wow..." he murmured in awe. "Delicious...I haven't anything this good for a long time..."

"Really?" she asked excitedly. "I'm so glad!" She blushed merrily, stuck her cheeks between her hands, and giggled like the little schoolgirl that she was. "I'm still learning how to make them. Thank you!" And now he was complimenting her cooking! It couldn't get any better than this.

But it did. "Well, if this is how they are when you've just started, I can't wait to taste them when you really get going. I'm sure they'll be perfect." Oh yeah, she was in heaven. However, their cozy moment was all but ruined by his next statement. "But Shinobu-dono, I was wondering..." She looked up at him from her hands. "Would it be possible if Naru-dono had some too, considering she's right behind us. And if I'm not mistaken...armed?"

Shinobu turned around to see, indeed, Naru with a broom in her hands, looking as if she were ready to bash it over Keitaro's head at a moment's notice. But besides that, Naru was surprised yet again by his ability to know she was there without her announcing it. _What is with this guy? How does he always know when I'm, or anyone else, is behind him? _ She managed to snap out of her thoughts, though, when she noticed a slightly surprised Shinobu and a bemused Keitaro staring at her. She crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks. "What?" she asked in annoyance, directing her question at the young man. "You think I'd leave Shinobu alone with a perv like you?"

"Naru-dono," he sighed. "Do you _enjoy_ picturing me like that?"

"I'm not picturing anything!" she shouted back. "I'm just telling the truth!"

At this point, Shinobu decided to interfere their quickly rising heated argument. "But Urashima is just helping me study!"

A skeptical frown forming on her face, Naru's eyes slanted and she looked at Keitaro doubtfully. "Oh, really? Then maybe he can help me out, too." She reached into the pocket of her pants and pulled out a small booklet. Holding it up to eye level, she raised an eyebrow curiously. "With this. Can you give me the answers?"

Recognizing the cover of the book almost instantly, Keitaro's brain went into minor shock. However, due to years of being ready for the unanticipated, he did not show it easily. "That's...Tokyo U's old exam questions, isn't it?"

"Yep." Naru replied innocently. Though he didn't show it, she couldn't help but feel suspicious of his tale, and now was a perfect time to prove if her theory of him lying was right or wrong. Ohhh...how little did she know her plan was about to backfire in the most spectacular of all ways. "If you're at Tokyo U, these should be a snap for you."

Keitaro was in a bit of a bind. He knew some of the questions, years of make-up studying will do that to a person, but not all of them. If he got any of them wrong, they would find out the truth about him. Wait a minute...the truth...That was it! _They still think I'm a Tokyo U student! So if I get all of them wrong, I'll finally be able to tell them the truth and get out of here without hurting anyone else! I can just leave! _ Satisfied with his plan, he closed the book without even looking at it and tossed it back to Naru. "The first one is C. Second is B."

"Wha?! C and B?!" Naru responded hectically. Her plan was already falling apart. Keitaro had answered her questions quickly and effortlessly, and was wearing a small smile that shone with unbound joy, one of the biggest ones she had seen in her whole life...next to Kitsune, of course.

"Then question three is D, and question four is A." He chuckled at his conquest. Now they would know the truth! "How'd I do?" But he knew how he did. He would fail each and every one of them, and then he could escape this horrible lie. He was out! He was free! He was-

"N...No way...They're all... _correct! _"

"Whee! That's incredible, Urashima!"

The words barely registering in his mind, his brain sent a message to his legs. One of them crossed over the other when it shouldn't have, and before he knew it Keitaro had tripped over his own two feet and fell to the floor, his body absolutely frozen with more shock and horror than he had ever had in his life. he creakily turned his head to look at the origins of that simply _awful_ sound he had heard. He had gotten them all right? Impossible. But the awe-filled expression of Shinobu and the annoyed, surprised, shocked, angry, etc. look on Naru proved him otherwise.

Naru's hands trembled uncontrollably as she stared in the back of the booklet where the answers were. Her voice was hardly understandable as she shook like a fish on a hook. "H-how did you...?" She gulped back the lump in her throat at his astounding feat of either pure dumb luck or genius intelligence. "And barely even looking..."

Meanwhile, Shinobu was absolutely amazed beyond belief. "Amazing!" she squealed in delight. "That's incredible! I'm so impressed, Urashima. Can I call you sempai?" Stars seemed to gather around her eyes, giving her face the appearance that it was twinkling like the way various precious gems did.

Picking himself off of the ground, Keitaro scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and anxiety. He took off his glasses and let them hang by his side. "Umm, I appreciate the compliment, Shinobu-dono, but I really don't think I deserve such a title." He blanched as Shinobu blasted her puppy-dog eyes at him full force. "Err...but if you insist, I'd be honored to." He sighed in relief as she reverted back to her "shining-eyes" mode. "But, urm, about these questions..."

"What about those questions?"

"Wha..." Keitaro turned around when he felt someone poking him in the back. When he did, he was surprised to find Su waving at him with, as always, a stern Motoko behind her, holding her katana over her shoulder. He found it funny that he did not sense them approaching, but then again, with what had just happened, he shouldn't have expected to notice them. Putting his glasses back in his shirt's pocket, he smiled at them. "Su-dono, Motoko-dono. What are you doing here?"

"Wanted to see what you were doing!" Su grinned.

"And I just came to make sure she doesn't get into trouble." Motoko added.

Su switched her attention to Naru and sidled up next to her before craning her neck and staring at her mischievously. "What's up, Naru?" she asked, a purely innocent question in context, but the smirk etched in her mouth said otherwise. "Is your plan failing or something?"

Naru scowled in annoyance. "Shut up, Su!" She didn't need someone like Su if her plan to expose Keitaro as a fraud succeeded or not. It was like adding insult to injury if she did actually fail. Motoko just watched their exchange, her other normal look of amused exasperation plastered on.

As a new conflict was arising, Shinobu took the opportunity to grab Keitaro's hand and began tugging him in a different direction from the others. "This way, Urashima," she requested firmly. Keitaro followed her lead, chasing after her as they made their way through the inn. They eventually emerged at the top of Hinata House, the annex, and Shinobu let go of Keitaro's hand. She climbed over the fence and onto the roof. He came quickly after her.

From this vantage point, he could see the entire village of Hinata Hot Springs nestled to the wide sea. A reminiscent smile tugged on his mouth as he gazed at the wonderful sight before him. "Wow!"

"This is my special place," Shinobu said.

"What an incredible view! This really _is_ special, Shinobu-dono." His eyes closed as memories, both happy and sad, flooded back into the realms of his consciousness. _It should be, _ he thought. _This used to be_ my _special place. _ After the accident, Keitaro had spent most of his time on this very same roof, just staring at the horizon. Through good times and bad, he had been here, collecting his thought on his problems or just life in general. It had been his own private sanctuary, and even though he was a little jealous, he was glad someone had found the uniqueness of it, especially if it had been someone like Shinobu.

Shinobu giggled into her hand before hopping on one foot to the edge of the roof. She teetered dangerously on it, and Keitaro tried to yell a warning but was cut off when she twirled back around to face him, her hands clasped together behind her back. "Um, sempai?" she asked, a tint of blush spread across her cheeks. "Can I ask you something? Promise not to laugh?" He tilted his head in confusion. "Umm...what does it feel like to be a student at Tokyo University?"

"Huh?" Keitaro's eyes widened as he realized what she was asking him. He made his way back down the roof towards her. "You know, I..."

Shinobu continued, oblivious to his protests. She smiled sadly as her head sank lower onto the railing, her eyes gazing at the ground far below. "It must feel great. I...I'm just so terrible at studying." She sighed. "I'm sure I'd _never_ get into Tokyo U, no matter how hard I tried."

Keitaro's heart broke a little at how unhappy and forlorn she sounded. He could hear the tone etched in her voice and he recognized it, it was a tone he knew all too well – despair. Shinobu was like a lost pet, separated from its owner and thinking that it would never see the face of its master again. And he knew, he knew what it was like to feel that way. He knew...because he had felt that that exact same way for most of his life. But he wouldn't, he _couldn't_ let someone feel like that, not like him... _ever. _

He sighed and shook his head, looking at the floor. "...No, that's not true, Shinobu-dono. That'll never be true." She turned around to glance at him, a surprised look on her face. Keitaro smiled. "I'm sure you can get in."

Shinobu laughed. "But you're so smart, sempai. It's easy for you to say that."

He chuckled at the irony of her words. Oh, how wrong she was. "It's not how smart you are." He laughed bitterly. "Trust me, it's never _that_ easy."

A hint of a smile returned to her face. Her eyes gained a hopeful, anxious look to them. Her voice became more eager as she spoke. "Really?"

"Sure!" he smiled. This was good, she was changing back into the happy girl he had seen less than several minutes ago. "You can't give up before you even start, Shinobu-dono. If you give it your best shot, you really could get into Tokyo University. Look at me." He jerked his thumb up to point at himself. "Even _I_ got in!" The second he said it, however, he realized his mistake. _Oh, crap_... Keitaro had just managed to dig himself an even bigger hole, but this one had consequences that he would never want to encounter. He struggled to make his way back out of it but all that he could say was an aghast, "Well..."

Unfortunately for him, his lie had the desired effect on the young girl. Shinobu's face blossomed into a gigantic smile. The corners of her lips were spread across her face and her eyes sparkled with hope. She clasped her hands in front of her and bowed. "Wow! Thank you very much!" She stuck her tongue out and smiled sheepishly. "The truth is my grades have been real bad since I got into middle school. But I feel so much better now!" She raced off, waving a hand behind her. "Thank you very much, sempai!"

Keitaro feebly tried to call her back but only a strangled noise was uttered from him. He watched hopelessly as she disappeared, skipping down the stairs into the inn. His head sagged down before he snapped it back up, grasping at his temples as he screamed at himself mentally.

Now _I've done it! _

--------

Later, the unlucky ronin was busy seething in his temporary room at his own stupidity. Self-loathing was the main emotion on his face as he buried it into his hands and groaned miserably. He started to speak to himself out loud, a bad habit he had had since childhood and had not truly ever gotten rid of. "Ahh...now what?" he sighed unhappily. "I was just going along with the flow but now I've made one little misunderstanding into a huge lie."

His memory brought back the smiling face of an extremely pleased Shinobu. _ "Wow, thank you very much!" _

He cried silently, smacking his face onto the top of the table. "And to an innocent little girl to boot...What the hell am I trying to accomplish here? Ruin as many lives as I possibly can?"

Outside, a pair of slippers made its way through the hall. It stopped right outside of Keitaro's door at what he spoke next. "Mmph...I'm not really a Tokyo U student at all. I lied...lied to all of them." His head snapped up and pounded his fist on the table. "But now that it's gone this far, I can't let anyone find out. Maybe...when this whole thing has settled down, I can tell them the truth...and hope that they'll forgive me..."

The pair of slippers stood silently beside his door's entrance, listening to what he said. Luckily, his back was turned, so he couldn't see the pair's owner. Also, as he was so wrapped up in his self-chiding, Keitaro didn't bother using his senses to feel for anyone's presence. He continued, oblivious that someone was listening in on him.

"But I won't be as lucky as I was today. So I have to make sure that I can at least earn their trust before I tell them the truth." His head sagged down. "Oh...who the hell am I kidding? No matter what I do, I'll just hurt all of them. But...this is what I've set out to do, and I _will_ do it, no matter what!" He nodded before rolling up his sleeves, sliding on his glasses, and slamming a book onto the table. "Alright then! I'll get started with this book of Tokyo U problems they left me!"

He bent over, ready to start, but right before he put pencil to paper, a feeling blasted through his mind. What the...?! He shot up and rushed to the hallway, poking his head out and looking both ways. "Hello?" he called out. "Anyone there?" However, no one answered, as there was not a soul in the empty hall. Keitaro scratched his head, perplexed, before heading back in. "Strange," he muttered. "I could have sworn there was someone outside of my room." He laughed nervously. "I hope that wasn't it. I don't want everyone to find out too soon."

_But...what if they did? What if they do know? What can I do? How can they possible forgive me for being so...so... _

He shook his head to dispel the dark thought. Now was not the time to second-guess himself – not now...and not ever. If he wanted to move forward, he had to keep going, and not turn around every moment to think what might have happened. He needed to do it or not at all.

Relieved by this small talk with himself, Keitaro set back to the task of trying to figure out the problems. He stopped at the very first question. _Oh, damn...calculus. It just had to be calculus, didn't it? _ He groaned before beginning to work on it. This was going to be torturous but he had never shied from this responsibility before. He had been doing this for the past fifteen years and he wouldn't stop now of all times.

_But why did it have to be calculus? _

Eight hours and three thousand fried-out brain cells later, Keitaro finally succumbed to sleep, slumping before letting his head splat right into the middle of his answer booklet. He was exhausted. Wars, absolute values, names of dead poets in countries he had never even heard of. When we would ever use this information in real life? The obvious answer was never, unless he was going to be in a game show that asked such inane questions. But he would still need to know them if he wanted to get into Tokyo University.

The sun rose over the horizon, shining its golden rays all over Hinata House. Keitaro snoozed peacefully, a small puddle of drool collecting on his book where his head rested. Unknown to him, a very unpleasant being was about to wake him from his deficient two-hour amount of sleep. His alarm clocked shrilled out its morning call, right next to his ear no less, on the table where he had placed it. Keitaro woke up with a start.

He looked around frantically, not recognizing his surroundings for a minute. This wasn't his apartment! Where was he? Yesterday's event clicked quickly into place, and he groaned. His head smacked into the tabletop again as he slumped forward. He winced as he missed the padded book and instead hit the wood of the table. He gently prodded the small lump forming there.

Keitaro sighed as he took his attention off the slight tingling in his forehead to check out how he had done. Most of the booklet was filled with answers and work, albeit most of the writing was scratched out and written all over again. He had actually only gotten through half of the problems. "Damn..." he muttered as he looked over his work. "I am an _idiot." _

He leaned back and looked outside at the rising sun. Noticing it was still quite early he decided to meditate for a little while. Maybe it would help him relax and be able to study better. Knowing his situation, he needed all the help that he could get.

Folding his legs, Keitaro laid his arms across them, palms upwards, and closed his eyes. With his sight now robbed, Keitaro used the opportunity to enhance his other sense. Training in this way had allowed him to accomplish such a feat. For example, his hearing could now pick up the tiniest sounds, mainly the ones that came form the wildlife outside. A bird's chirp, a cat's yawl, the breeze pushing itself through the trees' branches.

What he could smell was particularly pleasant. So many smells, each one so different and unique. The first one that came to him was a pungent, nearly overpowering smell. It invaded his nostrils, forcing him to clamp his nose with one hand. He scowled, recognizing the scent...

It was sake, gin, vodka, whiskey, rum, beer...nearly every liquor know to man. How he hated that smell, knowing what it emanated from. Alcohol stole his parents away from him, and he swore to himself that he would never touch the vile substance. Besides, the few times he _had_ actually had it only made him feel sluggish and week; he hated feeling either one of those.

He sighed, closing his eyes again, and blotted out the smell of liquor to see what else there was. The next smell he found was definitely a pleasant one. The slight scent of perfume mixed with...ink? Yes...it was ink, ink from hundreds of books. Keitaro let out a little smirk. Obviously a bookworm. He then smacked himself mentally. That wasn't nice; whether or not the person was a bookworm, he had no right to make fun of them. _Could probably take a page out of their book, _ he mused softly.

A soothing smell was the next to come. Keitaro relaxed as it came to him. Incense, the type used in shrines and holy ceremonies, along with the light musky smell, floated from wherever it originated from to his senses. Whoever this was not only kept way with old Japanese customs, but they also must be a fighter as well.

The next one to come after was more or less...domestic. The scent of soap, fresh laundry, cooking. Keitaro sighed, allowing his mind to wander back to a life long past. His mother's image popped up immediately. Yes, she was the type of person he would associate with the scent of home. A few tears prickled the corners of eyes, and his mouth curved into a small reminiscent smile.

The last smell he could fully recognize was... _interesting_, to say the least. Keitaro could have sworn he smelled what seemed like the damp, musty smell of a forest. But...that couldn't be right. It was if an entire ecosystem was contained within one room. Not only that, but didn't he also smell...smoke. A lot of smoke, like what would occur from burning something wasn't exactly organic...like welding or something other.

Keitaro opened his eyes, his sense of sight quickly returning. He sighed as his other sense reverted back to their original states of awareness. The smells, disappeared, the sounds, everything returned to their peaceful quiet form. He sighed again as he stretched his arms over his head, relishing the feeling of how relaxed they were after that small time of meditation. He rested a cheek on his hand, thinking to himself. _What an interesting place. I've never seen such a melee of different personalities. _

That much was true. He usually based what he thought of people on what actions he saw them take, the feelings of their auras, and how each of the lived. Usually just by the scent of their rooms. And amazingly enough, he was rarely ever wrong. A lot could be told from the simple ways of a person, and Keitaro could tell how each of them were almost flawlessly.

For example, the smell of liquor had to have come from Kitsune's room. The scent of sake lingered on the young woman's clothes. Not to mention her seemingly loss of inhibitions and shameless seductions towards him could only mean that she spent a lot of her time drunk. That, or just because she liked to stir choppy waters wherever she went. Keitaro shook his head. Most likely it was a mixture of both.

It was then he sensed a flurry of movements. Apparently everyone was finally starting to wake up. This sense was swiftly accompanied by the noises of people moving around, alarm clocks going off, and a low, feminine voice calling for someone to shut up. Keitaro smiled at how quiet it was at one moment and then at the next...A large thump followed by a scream and then giggling proved his point.

"What an interesting place indeed..."

His view landed back on the booklet. He frowned. And then there was this whole problem. He sighed and turned back around to face the dreaded test. Well, he had to finish this, even as idiotic as both the booklet and he was. He promised himself he would. But why was it so hard. Or better yet, _why_ was he even bothering to do this in the first place? Shinobu flashed up in his mind again. Ah yes, _that. _

He picked his pencil back up and slowly made his way through the problems again after his short break. He chuckled. "The things I do for other people..." It wasn't long before Keitaro was completely engrossed in the book's troublesome questions.

--------

Kitsune sleepily walked down the hall in her nighttime yukata, a toothbrush clenched between her teeth as she absently brushed them. While walking by Keitaro's room, the sound of graphite steadily scratching on paper caused her to look into his room (his door was still open from last night.) she was surprised to see the young man diligently studying. "Huh..." she murmured to herself. Footsteps from behind her made her turn around to see Motoko and Su staring at Keitaro as well. She grinned. "Would you look at that! He starts studying at the crack of dawn."

Motoko, already in her gi and hakama, folded her arms across her chest, holding her bokuto to her, and looked at Keitaro. "Well!" A slightly amused look was on her face.

Su was still in her pajamas. Her eyes perked up when she saw the last to dorm members walk up to them. She raised a hand in greeting and waved it enthusiastically. "Ah! Morning!"

"Good morning." Shinobu responded cheerfully. Naru looked at her in interest. Shinobu was never this energetic. Usually a nod or a few words were the most they could get out of her. When the two got to where the others were, Shinobu checked in on her sempai. "Wow!" she giggled. "Sempai's already working hard." Naru remained silent all the wile. Shinobu then balled up her fists and brought them upwards. "Whatever! I'm going to work hard too!"

Motoko blanched at the pre-teen's show of eccentricity. "What are you yelling about?" Shinobu instantly blushed at this and broke down into uttering incomplete sentences.

Kitsune noticed this. She smiled secretly before putting her fingers to her chin and gazing at Keitaro. "I'd better start acting like a girl or else I'll get left in the dust!"

Naru looked at her best friend in annoyance. "What are you talking about?"

Kitsune spun around. "Well y'know, since that came here, things have gotten a lot more lively in this dorm." Naru didn't know what to say to this. She just snorted doubtfully and crossed her arms. Kitsune sighed and rolled her eyes. Her friend would never learn; she was just too hardheaded. She decided to change subjects. She walked over to Shinobu and pointed a finger at her, grinning slyly. "How 'bout it, Shinobu, are you going after him, too?"

Shinobu's blush deepened. "N-no...that's not it..." However, Kitsune kept prodding her, much to her discomfort and everybody else's exasperation. Just another morning in Hinata House except for one key element – the young man blissfully aware of their watch.

--------

"I...I'm done!"

The night had come and gone, and night had finally descended its dark blanket upon the dorm. Keitaro had finished doing and grading his work on the Tokyo U booklet. What he saw was not very pleasing. Grades ranging form ten to as high as...thirty-eight? He just stared at the horrible work before him and sighed. _Well, what did I expect? If I could solve these problems, I'd already be in Tokyo U. _

His stomach rumbled, signaling the fact that it had not had anything to digest since the cookies given to it by Shinobu. And cookies, it grumbled at its owner, are not an actual meal...even if they were very tasty. Keitaro groaned. "That's it..." he muttered dejectedly. "I quit. There's no way I can pull this off." He looked out the window, seeing that night had been there for quite some time. He chuckled cynically. _I worked the whole day without any food...and it was all for nothing. _

He began to pack his bag, knowing what he had to do soon. "I better tell the truth and leave this place...before I hurt anyone else. I suppose I'll just go back to my apartment and be alone...all over again." He laughed sadly. "Alone...Funny, the word never really bothered me so much." Keitaro's body began to shake slightly, though from his own sorrow or the humor of his entire situation he could not tell. "God...why am I so..." A knock interrupted him from his thoughts, and he turned to see one of the tenants standing in the doorway, a tray in her hands. "Oh, hello, Naru-dono."

She nodded and raised the tray up. "I thought you'd like a snack. You haven't been down for any meals since you arrived."

Keitaro's face gained the tiniest of smiles, and the tears that threatened to escape were pulled back in at this thoughtful gesture. "Thank you very much, Naru-dono. That's very kind of you to do so." He motioned for her to come in, and she took him up on his invitation, walking next to him and setting the tray of tea and food next to him. When Keitaro look at what the food was, however, he was basically freaked out by what he saw.

Blobs of white stuff with some seaweed wrapped on them sat haphazardly on the plate, looking as though they were buildings about to collapse in on themselves. He smiled weakly and pointed to them. "Urm, Naru-dono...What are these supposed to be? Rice balls?"

Naru's face flushed – her lips an annoyed scowl, her eyes narrowed into angry slits. If he didn't like her hard work then...She snatched the tray back with a snarl and stood up quickly. "If you don't want them, I'll take them back!" She strode away, her aura a mess of insulted pride.

Keitaro broke out of his stunned silence at her sudden movements and called her back fretfully. "Wait! Wait! I'll eat them!" She looked at him over her shoulder, a gleam of doubt in her eyes. He shrugged helplessly. She sighed and walked back over to him, shoving the tray into his hands and plopping down at the table across from him. Keitaro nodded gratefully before putting one of the rice balls to his lips. _Naru-dono doesn't seem to like me much, _ he thought. _Maybe I shouldn't be so rude? _ He took a timid bite of the snack. His eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Wow! These are really good!"

Naru looked down, avoiding his gaze. An embarrassed blush rose to her cheeks. "R-really...?" she whispered softly.

He took another bite. "Really!" Keitaro mumbled through it. "They're delicious."

She smiled at his antics. "It's not polite to speak with your mouth full."

He blushed. "Ahh...sorry."

She shook her head. "It's okay." She then proceeded to pour some tea into both of their cups. She kept her eyes closed while she did this, giving no clue as to what she was thinking at that moment. "By the way..." He looked up from the table. "They say the miso-boiled lobster in the Tokyo U cafeteria is the best." Her voice became calmer, alerting Keitaro to the danger he was going to be in very soon. "Ever had it?"

He gulped. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if there was such a food as miso-boiled lobster, but that wasn't the point right now. What did matter was that he was being asked a question about a college he knew nothing about. What would he...Ah right...Now was the perfect time to be honest and say what was really going on. "I wouldn't know," he replied truthfully. "I've never had it."

"Oh." Naru tried to keep steady from his calm response, but it was obvious that she was disappointed. She had finally come up with another plan to expose him, and her plan had failed miserably again. "I was just wondering if it was true or not." He shrugged. She sighed and sipped at her tea.

Keitaro looked at her, noticing her reluctance to leave it at that. He sighed rather loudly. Well, the moment of truth had arrived. "You know, don't you, Naru-dono?"

Her head snapped up, and she blinked at his abstract question. "What do you mean?"

"The truth about me." He leaned back on his hands and looked out the window to his room. Naru remained silent. "Frankly, I'm relieved. I thought none of you would ever figure it out. The fact that you and the others actually thought _I_ was a Tokyo U student was the most absurd thing I'd ever heard." He smirked, knowing how true it was. His smirk changed quickly, though, turning back into a somber frown. "I don't like to lie, Naru-dono, I honestly don't. But it seems I've done nothing _but_ lie since I got here, and for that I'm sorry. I really and truly am sorry."

Naru spoke not a word as she listened to him complete his speech and then flop backwards. She looked down for a second before speaking. "I don't understand you..." Keitaro quirked an eyebrow and sat back up, looking at her in puzzlement. "You lie to us and then think a simple apology will make up for it? You tricked an impressionable junior high student into thinking you were a student in the law program at Tokyo University!"

Her voice became angry and spiteful as she clenched the bottom of her dress, her knuckles turning white. "You lied to her, a little girl, when you're only a total idiot! I mean...you've flunked twice, your grades stink, and the only reason you're here is because you lied!" After finishing her tirade, she panted heavily, contempt radiating from her like heat from a fire.

He looked down shamefully as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I...I'm sorry, Naru-dono. I honestly don't know what else to say. All I can do is apologize from the bottom of my heart, and hope that you and the others can find it in yourselves to forgive me." Keitaro glanced up from his lap, his eyes pleading for him to be absolved of his crimes.

It was then Naru began to shake. He leaned back, recalling that the last time she had shaken like this was when she had tried to tear his head off. A snicker escaped from the teenager's lips, prompting Keitaro to reconsider the idea that he wasn't going to die after all.

"You're hopeless!"

Shocked by the comment, Keitaro sat silently until he responded, his face drawn into a confused frown. "I am?"

"Give me a break!" she laughed. Resting a cheek on her curled hand, she closed an eye and looked at him capriciously with the other. "You don't have to act so solemnly. It's not as if none of us have never lied before. But still..." she giggled, totally banishing the tomboy attitude she had from before. "Did you really think you could fool _all_ of us so easily?" She giggled again. "Silly boy!" The look of uncertainty still lingered in his eyes though. "Joking!" she reassured him. "I was just joking!"

Realizing he wasn't going to be executed, Keitaro sighed in relief. Naru smiled, reaching forward and removing the glasses from his face. "I'll let you go this time," she said as she stood up, placing his glasses upon her own face. "Shinobu was so happy. She decided to try even harder after you told her she could do anything." She walked towards the railing of the outside balcony while Keitaro's eyes followed her lithe figure move with interest. She looked up at the sky, continuing her little explanation.

"She's been really depressed lately but she cheered up because of you!" Her voice became quieter, kinder. "If you get into Tokyo U next year then your lie won't be a lie anymore, will it?" She then turned around and hopped to sit on the railing. She took the glasses off, holding them in front of her. A genuine tender smile adorned her face. "You _can_ do anything if you try hard enough. Just don't give up!"

Keitaro's heart skipped a beat. A breeze had picked up, blowing her ginger-colored hair off to the side. The city's skylight illuminated her from the background, making it seem as if she had a halo of light around her. Her face was kind, gentle...so much unlike the hardened edges she owned previously. Her dress had ridden up her outstretched leg the tiniest bit, revealing the creamy flesh of her thigh, making it both tempting yet modest. It was at this moment that he saw a whole other side to this girl and realized just how beautiful she was.

He blushed. _W-what the...? _ He continued to stare at her in awe as she smiled back. _She's pretty cute! _

Naru noticed the embarrassed look on his face. She grinned before hopping back off the railing and walking back to him. She crouched down and playfully pointed at him. "Wow!" she giggled teasingly. "I didn't really notice before but you're actually kinda cute!"

As per his normal reaction to a female paying him a compliment, Keitaro's speech disintegrated into incoherent babble, his face flushed to the extent of crimson, and he began to sweat abnormally. "Huh?! Err...what?!"

While he was busy stuttering, Naru's eye caught something fairly displeasing. She made a curious noise and bent down, picking up a pile of papers. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she skimmed over the ronin's shoddy tries at answers. "Wait! What's with these answers?! Did you do this?" Her voice took on a disgusted tone. "This is the result of a whole day's work?! You missed this question?! I take it back! You'll _never_ get into Tokyo U!"

All the while, Keitaro's ire had been slowly rising at every derogatory remark sent at him. Finally, he couldn't contain it anymore. In a rare state of anger, he shot up and stared dangerously at her. "What was that?! I take it back, too! You're not cute at all!" He lunged forward, his arms outstretched. "Give me back my glasses!"

She leapt back, out of his reach. "Yeek! Don't touch me!" she cried. "What if stupidity is contagious?!"

Keitaro growled and lunged again. He caught the side of his glasses between his fingers, but a slightly raised tatami mat caught him as well, causing him to fall. But since Naru still had his glasses on, his momentum carried her along also. The two of them fell to the floor with a few shrieks and yells.

When the two opened their eyes, they were stunned to see the position they were in. Keitaro was slightly sitting up, his upper back propped against the wall of his room. His fingers were tightly his glasses that hung half-on, half-off Naru's face. As for Naru, she was in situation. She was on her hands and knees directly above Keitaro. What was even more embarrassing was the fact that their faces were barely a couple inches or so away from each other.

The two stayed speechless, absolutely frozen in that exact same position. The top of Naru's dress had slipped down and bared her chest, giving Keitaro an unwanted but appealing view. The both of them blushed profusely, each feeling the other's warm breath brush across their faces, mingling with their own. Keitaro was at last able to mutter a small command.

"G...get off!"

"Let go then."

"No, you."

"P...pervert!"

He blinked. "Wha?" She still thought it was his fault? Such a stubborn gi-

"Hold it..." His thoughts were cut short by her voice – silken and just the tiniest bit husky. He lay there, mesmerized by the movements of her lips. They were there right in front of them, looking so soft, so full, so moist. What if he...No! He couldn't think of someone like that, especially one he had just met and who thought he was worthless. But...that wasn't the only reason. He couldn't be with anyone because that was exactly what he was...worthless. He could never make anyone happy...No one...ever. He was just meant to be alone...

She looked at the boy beneath her. His eyes were glazed over, their warm, chocolate color reflecting both great despair and...desire? Well, of course it was desire. He was nothing but a pervert, wanting her like the filthy slimeball he was. But then...why was her heart beating so hard and fast, her head feeling so fuzzy? Why did she stay there on top of him? Why didn't she just slap him, get off, and leave. And why, _why_ did he look so cute and utterly... _adorable_ right now? Was she...

"Urm, Naru-dono..."

She woke up from her daze to see that their faces had grown even closer. Half an inch of air was the only separating their most sensitive membranes from touching. Naru absently licked her lips as she stared into Keitaro's eyes. Suddenly, he moved closer. Now it was only centimeters of air between them. Then millimeters. And then, there was nothing...

Naru let out a tiny gasp as Keitaro brushed his lips against hers. Almost involuntarily, a quiet moan followed after, her hands reached up to grip at his shirt, and she pulled him closer, crushing her lips to his. He bore the brunt of her actions, moving his hands to gently cradle her face between his palms. The both of their minds were in a frenzy of emotions, passion, and desire. It was definitely not something expected.

Naru for the most part was finding herself battling between her twin feelings of pleasure and disgust. He mind kept on reeling between the two, never truly keeping one of the emotions before discarding it for the other. _What the heck is going on?! Why is this pervert kissing me?! This is so gross! But...he's being so gentle. He's not forcing me to do anything at all and...No! This can't be happening! I can't be losing my first kiss to some scumbag! I...I wanted it to be special. I wanted to save it for someone I loved or at least liked. Not some... _ Keitaro's thumb fondly rubbed one of her cheeks, breaking her from her spiteful train of thought. She simply melted at these tender ministrations. _On the other hand, for a first kiss, this is kinda...nice... _ She relaxed her grip on him, allowing herself to enjoy the moment more.

For Keitaro, his mind was basically the same as a broken record – repeating the exact same phrases over...and over...and over again. It had seemed that his brain had gone on vacation while the rest of his body filled in for it. _Okay, let's see...I'm on the floor, Naru-dono is on top of me, and I'm kissing her. I'm on the floor, Naru-dono is on top of me, and I'm kissing her. Naru-dono is on top of me, and I'm kissing her. Naru-dono is on top of me, and I'm kissing her... _ He stopped for a second when he heard Naru whisper his name. It was then when his brain came back, only to see what travesty his body had done in its absence. _I'm...kissing...Naru...dono...I'm kissing Naru-dono. I'm kissing Naru-dono! Oh shit! I'm kissing Naru-dono! _

Keitaro's eyes shot open. Both his greatest dream and most horrible nightmare had come true. For the good, one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen was kneeling over and kissing him (seemingly enjoying it.) However, and this was the bad, _this_ girl would more than likely disembowel him the second she realized she had been wronged. He swiftly broke off the intimate contact from her and blasted backwards, which was pretty much useless as he was already pressed up against the wall quite firmly. He watched in terror as Naru slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing that she saw was a terrified Keitaro trying to escape her supposed wrath. She stared at him with half-lidded eyes before raising a hand to her lips. They felt tender, warm, and she could still taste "him" upon them. She looked back at him, her eyes silently asking. Keitaro felt such shame for himself as he gazed at those questioning eyes, asking why he had done such a thing. Naru slowly leaned back, sitting on her legs as she kept the same hand to her mouth. A small murmur was all that he heard, but it was enough to make him feel like dirt.

"My...first...kiss..."

That one little statement made him feel like the lowest man on earth. He had just taken away an innocent – well, maybe not so innocent – girl's first kiss away. How could he have done such a thing? But...it was _his_ first kiss too! Didn't that mean anything? He saw the nearly desolate expression on the young woman's face. to her, his first kiss meant nothing. After all, she had the possibility of having a future with someone while he would have probably lost his first kiss to some other random person sooner or later. It was just the way his life played out.

To try and make things right, he bent over, touched his head to the floor, and made a hurried apology. "Naru-dono, I am very sorry for what I just did! I meant no harm or insult towards you! Please...forgive me!"

She looked down at him, her eyes containing a raging war of emotions. On one hand, she was understandably angry at Keitaro for kissing her without warning or even her permission. On the other hand, the main reason why she felt so conflicted, was that...she had actually enjoyed it. As unwelcome and unexpected as it was, it was still a very nice, very satisfying first kiss. She couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach or stop her face from tingling because of his touch.

That being said, the deeper, more primal part of her soul wanted more. As idiotic and perverted as this boy was, some part of her wanted to kiss him again. Ironically enough, this would probably be one of the _last_ things that would ever be on the young Naru's mind, but...well, that was just the way Fate worked itself into people's lives.

"Keitaro..."

He raised his head to look at her and was surprised to see a warm smile gracing her lips. He slowly sat back up to kneel, an anxious expression on his face. Naru blushed but still couldn't fight the urge of wanting to kiss him again. Slowly, hesitantly, she raised her hands up to grip his shoulders. Keitaro's anxiety rose as well when she stared strangely at him. Then, she began to move closer. He closed his eyes, his face a look of abject terror. He _knew_ he was going to die, no matter how bizarre Naru's actions were. There was no other action she would take except kill him.

He felt something bump into his nose. Opening his eyes, he saw that instead of a punch heading his way, Naru's nose had hit his while she was leaning towards him. She moved her head back and opened her eyes. She then tilted her head to the side, closed her eyes, and leaned in again. Keitaro, finally having an inkling as to what was going to happen, closed his eyes and leaned in also. Once again, the distance between them shrunk. Their faces became closer, closer, closer...

"Ya in here, Tokyo-Ewe?!"

"We've got something for ya!"

"Umm...I made some rice balls...so..."

At that opportune moment, the rest of the Hinata House tenants slammed open Keitaro's door. What they found as it opened surprised them to know end. Naru was leaning over Keitaro, holding his shoulders, with her face not even an inch from his. Both of they eyes were clamped shut, but when the others burst in, they instantly snapped open, looking both surprised and _extremely_ guilty. It didn't take a crystal ball to figure out how they would react.

The tray of food that Shinobu was holding fell from her numb fingers, making a metallic sound as it hit the floor. Su raised a hand to her mouth, letting out a noise of surprise and awe. Motoko's face immediately went into its death glare mode as she slowly drew her katana from its wooden confines. And Kitsune...Kitsune was more or less pissed off that her friend had gotten even farther than her.

"Naru! You..." A vein was throbbing dangerously on her temple as he bunched her shaking hands in much more hazardous and threatening shaking fists. Baring her teeth, Kitsune flung her head up and yelled angrily a her friend, "And you were yelling at me?! You hypocrite!"

Naru looked at Kitsune, back at Keitaro, and then back at Kitsune. Her eyes widened and her face flushed completely as she fully realized the position she and Keitaro had been caught in. Scrambling off of the young man as fast as she could, she stood up. "K-Kitsune!" she stuttered. "What do you mean?! This...this isn't what it looks like!"

"Uh-huh," Kitsune scoffed. "Right...I'm sure you just _happened_ to fall on him, and your arms _conveniently_ moved onto his shoulders like that. What were you trying to do with your face so close to his then? Wanted to see if he brushed his teeth?"

"She's telling the truth, Kitsune-dono." Kitsune and the others looked down to see Keitaro staring back at them. He had his hands folded behind his head to pillow himself against the wall and was gazing intensely at them as he spoke. He seemed overly calm for someone caught in a compromising act like that. "Naru-dono was just trying to play a joke on me so that I wouldn't act so seriously. She stole my glasses, and when I tried to get them back I accidentally pulled her on top of me. It's as simple as that."

His eyes narrowed as his tone became accusing. "And even if she was trying to show affection, at least it was genuine and did hold any ulterior motives along with it..." His voice lowered to almost a whisper. "Unlike with a certain fox I know."

Kitsune's eyes widened, a rare event that only happened when her emotions moved into the extremities. In this case, it was embarrassment and shock that Keitaro had seen through her facades so easily. Well, she had thought he was a little more perceptive than some of the other clowns she usually swindled. Her eyes swiftly reverted back to their original slits, accompanied by a blush that stained her already alcohol-induced red cheeks.

Seeing that he successfully knocked the young woman speechless, Keitaro let out a tiny smirk before covering it up with a somber frown. Well, he had better tell them all now and get it over with. He grunted softly as he pushed himself off of the ground. The girls watched the familiar pattern as he patted off imaginary dust from his clothes before he turned to Naru. "Do you think I could have my glasses back, Naru-dono?"

Startled by the question after their risqué event together, Naru stared blankly at him for a second before seeing that he was looking at her strangely. Trying to be rid of his boring gaze, she nodded. "Oh! Umm, sure! Sorry if I did anything to them."

Keitaro smiled and took the glasses from her outstretched hand. "Don't worry, Naru-dono," he politely responded. "If anything happened, it would have been my fault. But thank you for the concern." He slid them into his chest and then faced the girls. "Actually, I'm glad all of you are here because I have something to say. The truth is that...I'm..."

--------

"I knew that it couldn't last..."

Keitaro sighed as he hitched his pack again. He was walking steadily down the stone staircase to make his way to the dorm's parking lot. Recalling what he had done last night, he groaned before covering his face with a hand and glanced through the slits up at the sky.

"Why am I such an idiot sometimes?"

After telling the girls who and what his true position in life was, the change in their demeanors was almost mind-boggling. Instead of the friendly aura they had projected when they had gotten used to him, they were instead the cold, spiteful ones he had received when he had first arrived. Motoko was full of simple disgust. Su's was just curiosity and childish disappointment. Kitsune's was, as he expected, sheepish relief. But Shinobu's...Shinobu's was the worst of all.

He groaned as he remembered how horrible the little girl had looked, not to mention the aura she was giving off was downright depressing. So many sad and angry emotions – sorrow, rage, betrayal, mistrust, despair – all contained within such an innocent heart. His heart broke, knowing the wrongs he had committed against such a pure child. Keitaro sighed. _Well, _ he thought bitterly to himself. _It's only what I deserve. _

Finally arriving at his motorcycle, he took his helmet from the side of his pack, put it on his head, and latched the clasped together. He then climbed on the cycle, knocked off the kickstand, and turned the ignition before revving the engine. It roared to life...right before puttering off and then dying completely. He groaned. No, not now. Why'd it have to happen now? He turned the ignition. Nothing.

Again.

Zip...

Again.

Zilch...

Again!

Nada...

Keitaro growled before jumping off the bike and kicking it. "Stupid bike!" he yelled. "You just had to do this to me, didn't you?!" His eyes moved to the heavens, full of spite and anger. Rarely did he ever react to anything like this, but after his short stay at Hinata House, the emotions he kept locked away were beginning to escape their imaginary bonds.

"Damn you, God!" he screeched. "Why are you doing this to me?! First you take away my loved ones then my soul, and when I finally begin to recover, you make me deceive such sweet people! Why?! Why do you torture me?! Why?!" His eyes started to leak tears, his voice became lower, and he sank to the ground.

Why?

_ "An accident? Are they okay?" _

Why must I suffer?

_ "No, sweetie...They're...gone..." _

Why must others suffer with me?

_ "This is a girls dorm! We can't have a sicko like you here!" _

Why must I be hated?

_ "So, you're a Tokyo U student, Keitaro?" _

Why must I lie?

_ "Oops...I think I broke him." _

Why must I worry others?

_ "Halt, vile male!" _

Why must I fight?

_ "Wow! Thank you very much!" _

Why must I give false hope?

Why? Why?! _WHY?! _

"Damn you, God! Why?!" He crouched over, pressing his curled fists into his forehead. A splitting pain exploded in his temples. His mind kept playing his life over and over again – his pain, his deceit, his sorrow, his despair. Why were these things always happening to him? Why was he always alone, always isolated? Why...was he so...damn... _afraid?! _ Why?!

"Damn you...Just leave me alone. Please..." He broke down into sobs.

_Let me be alone...I don't want to be hurt...anymore... _

--------

Haruka left her teashop, thoughts bouncing off the walls of her mind like the balls in a pachinko machine. So many things had happened in the last couple of days. Her nephew, who she hadn't seen or heard from for the past eight or nine years, appeared out of nowhere saying that his grandmother, _her_ mother, had invited him to stay. Even Haruka had not known about this. It was as big a surprise to her as it was to the rest of the tenants. Granted, she was very happy to see her only nephew, but her normally stoic face was now nothing but a look of confusion.

She sighed as she chewed on her unlit cigarette, contemplating whether or not to light it. She raised the light stack of paper that had just been faxed to her a little while ago and stared at them. And then there was this too. Her mother had sent them, the papers explaining what she did not. Haruka shook her head and took a lighter out of her apron's pocket. Screw it. She needed the rush of nicotine from its heavenly insides to deal with this problematic situation.

Flicking the lighter open, she placed it underneath the cigarette's butt before pressing down on the switch to release the flame. It flickered before bursting to life as it crinkled the end of the cigarette with its all-giving heat. Haruka flicked the lighter back shut before taking a drag. The smoke flew into her lungs, bringing its acidic taste along with its rush of pleasure. Haruka sighed, blowing the smoke back out, and looked the papers once more.

Relaxed after the smoke, a wry smile rose to her lips when she realized what the consequences of Hinata's decision were. Well, her mother always did like to rile things up, and this time it would be no different. She shook her head in exasperation before heading off to where she thought her nephew was. She had heard him yelling, and it didn't sound like he was happy.

When she arrived, he was right where she hoped he was – still in the parking lot. He was sitting on the ground, his back propped against the motorcycle. He was sitting cross-legged, leaning over slightly, his bangs covering most of his face. Haruka saw him muttering to himself and sighed to herself before walking over to him. Stopping a few feet away, she bent over.

"Hey, nephew," she said, a little concern hidden in her tone. "You okay?"

"What do _you_ think, Haruka?" he replied sullenly, still keeping his gaze on the ground.

"_I_ think you look like you're about to attend a funeral." She bent her knees, crouching down and craning her neck to try and see Keitaro's face. "You wanna tell me what's wrong?" He hesitated slightly before shaking his head. She moved closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Keitaro, it's me, your aunt Haruka."

He shrugged the hand off before coldly responding. "The same aunt Haruka who used to chew me out and hit me for the stupidest reasons?"

She looked down before dropping the cigarette from her hand and crushing it underneath her foot. She smiled. "Yes, but I was also the aunt Haruka who used to hold you when you cried and comforted you when you woke up from a bad dream." Keitaro flinched but quickly reverted back to his somber state.

"Maybe," he murmured. "But that was a long time ago. People change. You change, I change, we all change. You're not the same Haruka I knew. You're older, wiser, more mature. And I'm...I'm even more alone than I was before." His shoulders began to shake, and Haruka noticed small puddles of tears collecting on the paved ground and sobs emanating from her younger relative.

"Damn it..." he muttered bitterly. "Damn...Damn...Damn it...Damn it...Damn it! _Damn it all!" _

He lifted a clenched fist, and before Haruka could stop him or even move, he pounded it into the ground with all of his might. The ground literally shook from the power he put into that enraged, helpless punch. The asphalt cracked and then shattered completely, forming a miniature crater from where his hand had come in contact with it.

Haruka had fallen backwards from the shock of Keitaro's actions. She was on her rear, he legs splayed out haphazardly in front of her, and her face was an expression of pure surprise. She never knew Keitaro held so much power. She knew that he was very resilient...but the idea that he could crush tone...? Then again, with her mother training him, she couldn't really expect anything less. Still, the power, the fury, the absolute anguish and pain...It was almost overwhelming.

"Why do these things always happen with me, Haruka?"

The older woman broke out of her stupor to see that Keitaro had finally lifted up his head so that she could see his face. The sight wasn't pleasant. His eyes were overflowing with silent tears, looking both dark and dead. His mouth was pulled into the grimmest of frowns, and his cheeks seemed to sag with unimaginable sadness. He looked exactly like he had when he found out about his parents.

"Why am I always hurt? And why, _why_ can I only respond by hurting others?" He started clenching his fists again. "I lied to them, I lied to them, I _lied_ to them. Damn it, I hate lying and that's all I did! Lie! I lied! I..." He sighed and sniffed softly. "All I can ever do is harm people, never help them. That's all I'm good for." He heaved his hand from the pavement and looked at his ripped up and bruised knuckles. They were bleeding profusely. All he did was laugh. "Look at me, acting like a child. I even broke your parking lot."

Haruka gasped at his mangled excuse for his hand and immediately moved forward to grasp it. He winced, and she frowned. "I'm more worried about your hand than a stupid parking lot," she chided him. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. When she moved to wrap it around his hand, he jerked it away.

"There's no need for that," he grumbled. "It'll heal in a couple of days. You know I don't keep injuries for long. Besides, I don't want your handkerchief to get all bloody." He winced again as she lightly smacked him on the head.

"Idiot." He looked at her hurtfully. She smirked as she grabbed his hand again, quickly wrapping it with the cotton of her handkerchief. She tied a knot before pushing it back to him. He looked at it, a small smile slowly appearing. She smiled back. "Like I said, you are my nephew, one that I haven't seen in a very long time but my nephew nonetheless. And you know what?" He looked at her. "I still she the little boy I knew from before, always blaming himself for other peoples' problems."

"But it _is_ my fault! I lied to them!"

"No...it _isn't_." She put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to face her. "You've got to stop acting like a martyr. Unless you do, no one will ever respect you. And then you really will be all alone."

Keitaro opened his mouth to speak but paused for a second then closed it. He sighed. "Fine, then what am I supposed to do? They all must hate me now..."

"I wouldn't say 'hate,'" Haruka interrupted. "More like disappointed that you allowed them to believe a lie that _they_ created. And if _that's_ the case, then I've got the perfect solution to win back their trust." She smirked, fishing out the stack of papers. "Mom just faxed these to me a few minutes ago. I think you'll be presently surprised."

He received the papers from her and quickly looked them over. An eyebrow rose as he fixed his gaze back on Haruka, his face half-stuck between puzzlement and disbelief. "W-what is this? Real estate...Deal of ownership?"

Haruka winked. "It's all legal. Mom said she's giving everything to you."

"What?" Keitaro looked, stupefied, at the writing on the very last sheet of paper. It couldn't be 't...But it was. The last piece of evidence was all he needed to verify this nearly surreal event.

Letter: From Grandma to Keitaro   
I, Hinata Urashima, give to my grandson, Keitaro Urashima, the real estate in my possession, Hinata House, and the land it stands on.   
August 10, 1998 Hinata Urashima

Haruka grinned at his expression. "Hinata House is all yours! If _you _become the landlord..."

Keitaro stared, horror clearly spread across his face. "Landlord?!"

A/N: Yay! I'm done this chapter! And just in time for my birthday too! Yep today's my birthday and I am now official an adult! But...that means I now have to pay income tax! Oh God, noooooooo! Ah well, that's what happens when you grow up! Anyway, thanks for reading this new chapter. I hope it was to your liking. Here comes the interview now, and I'll talk to ya again when it's all over! See ya!

Yamiga: Hey, folks! _ (waves) _ Welcome back to my interview! It's been a while, so let's get started, eh?!

Chaos: _ (sighs) _ I swear, Yamiga...you are just way to energetic at time...

Yamiga: It's either this or a mood that could conquer Naru's angry one any day. Now...which one would you like?

Chaos: _ (chuckles) _ Heh, yeah...I've seen you on those days...Never mind...

Keitaro: Urm...Yamiga-dono? Who's this?

Yamiga: Huh? Oh, sorry... _ (laughs sheepishly) _ This is Chaos. He's a friend of mine. You've met him before, but just not in this dimension or time.

Keitaro: Chaos...dono?

Yamiga: Don't bother. He doesn't deserve a title like that. _ (smirks) _ Right, Chaos-bozu?

Chaos: (growls) Yamiga...don't make me kick your ass like last time.

Yamiga: Yeah, yeah. No one was ever declared the winner, so let's leave it at that. Anyway... _ (turns to Keitaro) _ Keitaro, you ready to meet the girls again?

Keitaro: _ (fidgets) _ Urm, do you think we could wait until the next chapter? I don't think I deserve to meet them right now.

Yamiga: _ (sighs) _ Yeah, sure...Anyway, I sure made this chapter long. You enjoy yourself?

Keitaro: _ (frowns) _ Except for the fact that I betrayed all of them, and that they all probably hate me now? _ (shakes head) _ No, not really.

Yamiga: Sorry...

Chaos: Yamiga, you're digging yourself a bigger hole. Better wrap it up...

Yamiga: Sure...Anyway, don't worry, Keitaro. None of them hate you. Some of them actually like you a lot...maybe even more than that. _ (winks) _

Keitaro: _ (blushes) _ Yamiga-dono!

Yamiga: _ (laughs) _ In any case, everything will get better. So don't you worry! You're gonna have a blast! Now, will you do the answers?

Keitaro: _ (smiles) _ Of course... _ (bows) _ Please review!

A/N: Wow...that was a long chapter...36 pages. Think that's the most I've ever written in one sitting...well, except for that one chapter in ALGO that I had to spilt apart...Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter because there are plenty more to come! The wheels of fate have begun to turn and the characters of Love Hina are caught up in it! May you enjoy all of your future reads! Until then, please review, and remember, no flames!

_Preview! _

_Next Chapter: Discussions, Discoveries, and Decisions _

_"Oh, don't worry. How bad could it..." She opened the book and immediately trailed off. This...this couldn't be right, could it? She flipped to a random page. There was again. Another one. Again. Another one. The same. Every page she flipped to, the same image stared back up at her, always unmoving never changing. The only differences in any of them were the varying frames. She looked back up at him, her eyes full of disbelief and mockery. "Are all of these...are all of these pictures of you...alone?" Keitaro refused to meet her gaze, blush becoming worse. Naru soon began to giggle. She tried to stifle it, but it only escalated into a full-blown laugh. Soon she was cackling loudly, unable to bind her mirth... _


	3. Discussions, Discoveries, and Decisions

A/N: Hey, people! I'm back! Wow, two weeks. That's pretty god for me since lately it's been taking 'bout half a year to update. Heh, so sorry about that. Anyway, I've got a new chapter for AMWAL and I hope that you like it. More angsty than usual, I peered deeper into Keitaro's new personality. Hope you like it! Oh, and I've got a funny story from this weekend also! My brother clogged our bathroom toilet by shoving about half a roll of toilet paper down the drain (he hadn't even done anything! Just went in and clogged it!..._Such_ a troublemaker), and the whole bathroom was flooded. But that ain't the funny part. Afterwards, my dad tried to act all Mr. Plumber, but all he managed to do was break it down even more! Now we have no water pressure in my house! _ (sighs) _ Ah well, whatcha' gonna do? Anyway, I'll talk to you again at the end of the story but first, a word to my reviewers. 

**Hanku Royiaki: ** wow! The best romantic fic? Thank you very much! I would have hoped my ALGO would be the best one, but the fact that at least one of my fics is that good is simply...amazing. Thank you so much! and for updating? How's now? _ (laughs) _

**Vermilion-ZERO: ** thank you for the review. I'm glad people like my long chapters. I was a bit worried that it may be a bit long-winded but you've allayed those fears. thanks

**zornoid13: ** thank you for the review! I'll update again as soon as possible. Until then, enjoy this chapter

**Innortal: ** the reason Kanako doesn't appear here is because she isn't adopted until later in Keitaro's life. I figured she was adopted while Kei was in middle school in the canon series, so with his parents dead, there's no one to adopt her. Sorry if you don't like that. But thank you anyway

**MADman384: ** thank you for the review. And no, it won't take another year. This one only took two weeks, and the next may only take a week or so. Hope ya enjoy

**fin: ** thanks for the view on Keitaro. I purposely chose Kenshin because I figured he was the best person to base the new personality on. He went through almost the same events, his parents dying, learning a fighting style under his new guardian, along with thee inability to get too close to others, the though of unworthiness lingering in the back of his mind...ah, well...thanks

**sexybish666: ** yeah...ever since I read the very first volume I've always wondered what might have happened if they did...go farther than what actually happened. I'm so evil... _ (chuckles) _ thank you for liking the new Keitaro, and thank you also for enjoying the new chapter, anticipating it even. Thank you

**Godsbane: ** don't worry, I will as soon as possible. Thank you

**Kawaii Yoshi: ** I wonder also why people hate Naru so much, and not because of the pairings. Naru can actually be very sweet when she wants to, but it seems that the more fics I read, the more people turn her into an absolute bitch! The same could be said for Motoko, who some absolutely adore as Keitaro's significant other. She hurts him too! Or does the fact that she occasionally uses him as a training dummy escape them? Eh... _ (shrugs) _ In any case, thank you for the review

**The Cactus: ** sorry if you didn't think it was worth the wait. I'll try harder next time, so please forgive me. But thank you for the nice review anyway

**Malcolm Yuy: ** thank you for the review! I'll update again as soon as possible!

**PlatinumTrickster: ** AHHHHH! No, flames are scary! Keep 'em away, keep 'em away! _ (shudders) _ but thank you very much for the review. The fact that you laughed a couple of times makes me feel happy...heh

**kei-kun496: ** wow...you cried? Well, I can't complain, that's a very touching response. I sometimes cry a bit also while re-reading my own fics. Is that a bad thing? To enjoy my own fics? Who knows...thank you

**Tornado(Reviewer: ** huh, only a couple lines about the actual story and the rest is about hating Naru. Eh...it's your opinion. But you're right, Mutsumi is a really good match for Keitaro. Too bad I like Naru more. But don't worry...a fic that I'm working on might have Mutsumi's love life in it soon. It all depends on what my reviewers think...

**dennisud: ** yeah, it is a long story. And I also really like self-loathing characters. Maybe it's because I'm a self-loathing person. I really need to work on my self-esteem issues _ (sighs) _ but thank you so much, for both reviews

**KnightDeath: ** thank you so much for the kind review! I work really hard with my plot and grammar, so I'm glad that you take notice of that. Also, thank you for liking the new storyline. It had been rolling around in my head since the beginning of my junior year, right after I started ALGO. And now, well, I'm just happy people enjoy it. Thanks

**Wonderbee31: ** thank you for the review on Kei's new views. For your second question, Naru will warm up faster. I hated the fact that she was so wishy-washy with her feelings. As long as she's more open, things will go a lot more smoothly. Or...maybe not _ (chuckles) _

**Model-Kit: ** maybe he will! _ (laughs) _ thank you!

Thank you to all of my reviewers!

Disclaimer: I, in no way, shape or form, own any of Love Hina. Ken Akamatsu does and I highly doubt he will ever give me the rights to it. So all I can do now is write stories based on Love Hina. Please do not sue! Because if you do...then I probably won't be able to do anything about it at all.

**A Moment Worth A Lifetime   
By Yamiga'sLight   
Chapter 3: Discussions, Discoveries, and Decisions**

"Hinata House is all yours!"

_No...it...can't...be..._

"If you become the landlord..."

_But...I...can't...be..._

"All yours..."

_Be the...landlord...of..._

"Landlord..."

_Of a...girls...dormitory..._

"Keitaro..."

_Can't..._

"Keitaro?"

_Be..._

"Keitaro!"

_The..._

"Keitaro!"

A flash of pain erupted from his temples, and Keitaro woke up out of his stunned daze. He immediately put his hand up to the side of his head, wincing as he felt the lump that was forming there. His eyes focused onto a slightly miffed Haruka. The first thing he noticed was one of her hands balled up into a fist. Putting two and two together, he scowled in annoyance. "What did you have to do that for?"

She shrugged. "Had to get you out of that tiny coma you were in. I swear, your eyes were glazed over and you started to drool." She pointed for emphasis, and Keitaro flushed before wiping off the tiny amount of saliva that had collected at the corner of his mouth. A small smirk flashed across Haruka's face. "But anyway, you do understand what's going on now, right?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sort of, but...how can _I_ be the landlord of a girls dorm? I mean...one, I'm not a girl, so it's absolutely inappropriate. Two, all of the tenants absolutely despise me. Three..." His head hung as he looked down shamefully. "I don't deserve to be landlord."

Haruka growled in frustration. "Do I have to hit you again?" He frantically waved his hands in front of him, signaling that it was not necessary. "Good." She sighed. "Keitaro, I'm not forcing you to so this, it's your own decision. I just think that it would be a good experience for you. Who knows? You might actually become friends with all of them."

"Yeah, right..." he mumbled quietly. _The odds of that are the same as me getting into college. _ He groaned. _Great, just had to bring that up. _ His eyes perked a bit when he noticed a post-script at the very bottom of the fax. "What? There's more?"

P.S.   
I'm sorry, Kei, for lying to you. But knowing your past experiences with woman made me decide not to mention the current status of my...well, _your_ inn now. If I had, I'm sure you would have never agreed to it. And besides, I worry about you; you need more human contact other than at school or your apartment. There's also the chance of getting a girlfriend out of one of the tenants. Some of them _are_ pretty cute...In any case, _please_ accept this gift from me; it would mean so much if you did. Hope to see you again...   
Your Loving Granny

In the corner, under her signature, was a chibi version of Hinata giving the victory pose with both hands. Keitaro sighed before breaking down into chuckles. This was just like his grandma. Surprises were a daily occurrence when he lived with her and this was no exception. Haruka looked at him strange outburst, but he merely shook his head and handed the fax back over, pointing at the note. Haruka looked it over, a smirk developing as she did.

After finishing, she put her hand to her forehead and let out a short laugh. "Just like her."

"Yeah..." He stood up. "Soooo..._now_ what am I going to do?"

Haruka mimicked his actions, standing up and then crossing her arms. "Well, as this is not exactly a normal circumstance in _any_ person's life, I honestly don't know what to say. But since our lives have been anything but normal I suppose I could say – congratulations on being the proud, new male owner of a girls dormitory."

He sighed. "Something tells me this would be the ultimate fantasy of the basic male's mind. There's only two problems." He blew some air from his mouth and pushed the bangs out of his eyes. "One, I can barely talk to girls without blushing or being pre-occupied with something else."

"You seemed to do just fine with all of the girls here." Haruka retorted.

"Yeah, only because I was too damn worried about them finding out I had lied and hating me. That and the fact that I seem to be much more comfortable around here." Keitaro shook his head. "Anyway, back to the second reason. Two, it'll be kinda hard when my new tenants actually _do_ ha-" He stopped mid-word after receiving a critical look from his aunt. "...err, when my tenants are...displeased with me."

Haruka gave him a smile for his correction. "Much better. Now, like I said before, this is just the chance you need to prove to the girls that you're trustworthy."

"But what if I don't? What if I never do?"

"Then you'll just have to keep trying. Besides, after all you went through, I would think that you would have more patience." Realizing what she had just said and what those words had implied, she gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

Keitaro's eyes drooped and his mouth curved into an insulted frown. "That wasn't necessary, Haruka. It really wasn't."

"I know and I'm sorry. I didn't want to bring up painful memories like that."

"It's okay." His frown changed into a sad smile. "At least you're family. You wouldn't _believe_ how many random people tell me how 'sorry,'" here his voice took on a high falsetto, "they are for my lost. Like _they_ know how it feels to hear your parents died, to see their unmoving corpses. To know that you'll never see them again for as long as you live." He scowled at the memories. Sorry...Hmph, he didn't need nor want their pity. He was fine enough until they had to remind him of what he had lost and would never find again. Inconsiderate, righteous feeling, do-gooder bastards...

He shook his head to release himself of the dark thoughts. There was no point to them, and the only thing that they could lead to was a long and lonely path. He walked that path overrun by shadows before and did not intend to go through it again. He smiled again to try and ease the tension. "Besides, I'm not the only one who suffered. You did, too." Haruka blinked back the tears. It was hard; her memories were just as full of strife as Keitaro's were. "You lost a brother...and a sister, too. You also lost your dad before, right?"

"Maybe I did, but it was a long time ago. All I remember is a void and mom's tears." She sighed heavily and gestured to him. "But you're far worse off than I am. At least I still have mom..."

"Stop it!" She paused in reaching for his shoulder. "I don't want to hear it! I don't want your pity! So what if mom and dad died! That was fifteen years ago!" His hands balled into fists, clenching so tightly that his wound opened up and began to bleed freely again. "The pain's faded away, it doesn't hurt as much!"

"You don't have to hold it in, Keitaro. You can feel sad, you can cry, you're only human..."

"I'm not holding it in, damn it! I'm not...not holding it in..." He calmed down, breathing slowly, his voice lowering as he did. "It doesn't hurt, and I can't keep clinging to it like a little child. If I do, I'm just being the little martyr you said I was. Self-pity...will not get me anywhere."

Haruka frowned sadly. Her nephew had changed from the little rascal he was as a child. Open and joyous before, he was only sad and secluded now. He kept everything inside him, putting on a false face of merriment. That joy meant nothing; she knew what it was hiding. From the first time when she had seen him again, she knew that the jokes, the smiles, the playful nature...were nothing more than a façade to make sure no one else shared in his pain. Surprisingly enough, however, was the fact that he had let loose a few bouts of his true emotions, as small as they were. Perhaps her mother was right...perhaps this place, this inn...Hinata House...was the key to unlocking his heart. She could only hope that it would come true...not only for his sake, but for the sakes of all that knew him.

She stepped forward, embracing the young soul. He struggled for a moment before relaxing into her, allowing his older relative to soothe his anxious mind. Haruka smiled before ruffling his hair. "Such an intriguing young man you have become. Trying to bear the world on your shoulders while you're still only a child at heart."

"Even a child can do amazing things if he tries hard enough," came his muffled reply from her shoulder.

"I think the problem is that you try _too_ hard." She pushed back from him, looking him square in the eyes. "Keitaro, don't be afraid to let someone else help you with your burden. Don't be afraid to let someone into your heart. Just don't be afraid..."

"No one deserves to hold my burden, not even you, Haruka."

"Then you are an even bigger idiot than I thought." He muttered something illegible. She sighed. "Fine, if you're going to have to be this way, then I have no other choice." Stepping away, she twisted her wrist, a fan appearing in it as if by magic. She took the offensive object and then smacked Keitaro across the face as hard as she could. He rocked backwards until catching his footing and stopped.

Holding a hand to his now inflamed cheek, Keitaro looked at his assaulter. "Why...why did you..."

"Because I needed to smash some sense into that thick skull of yours, that's why!" she shouted at him. "God, Kei! You say self-pity isn't going to get you anywhere, but there's a difference between that and just being plain stubborn! For once in that tiny brain of yours, listen to me! I am your aunt, and therefore love you just as much as your parents did! So I _do_ worry about you, and I _do_ want to help you! So why can't you just accept that!"

"I don't know!" he roared. Haruka blinked at the absolute fury in his tone. Never did he react like this. Never did his anger ever rise to the surface and rear its ugly head. Never did he yell with malicious and hurtful intents. Never. "I don't know, damn it! Maybe I really am an idiot, but who are _you_ to judge _me_? Last time I checked, you were just as stubborn as I was, more so even!"

"Are you _trying_ to start a fight with me!"

"Maybe I am!"

"Oh yeah!"

"Yeah!"

"Oh yeah!"

"Yeah!"

"OH YEAH!"

"YEA..." He trailed off, finding that he and Haruka had grown closer with every statement. Now a few inches was the only thing that separated their fuming faces. Like a lock being undone, Keitaro suddenly burst into laughter. "Oh god! What the hell are we doing!"

Haruka's face became surprised before it burst out into laughter also. "I don't know, but it sure seems like what we did when we were kids!"

"Uh-huh..." Keitaro's laughter trickled off, leaving a smile. But unlike the ones he gave to make sure others were happy in his wake, this smile was a genuine smile, an honest smile. It was one that held all of his childish glee, his joy. For once, Keitaro truly smiled.

"_There's_ the little nephew I once knew!" Haruka said. "Now don't you feel much better?"

Keitaro looked down at his feet. He glanced back up at her and smiled again. "I guess I do...Ha-chan."

She smiled back at the pet name he had given her as a child. Normally she would have wanted him to call her Haruka or Aunt Haruka, but because he was so little, he could only pronounce a bit of her name. But hearing Keitaro call her that brought back happy memories of their childhood together, and Haruka was glad for that.

"Kei-kun...You can be such a fool sometimes."

He grinned sheepishly. She giggled before deciding to take in her younger relative's new appearance. There had been much chaos and confusion to do so before, and she was happy that she now had the time to. Her eyes skimmed up and down his body, amazed by the changes in both his demeanor and physical look. Keitaro stood relaxed, knowing what she was doing. He could even feel her aura probe his for a little deeper analysis. At this intrusion, he politely but firmly pushed her back out. This was supposed to be a joyful reunion, despite the conservation they had just had, and he did not want to trouble her any more with his unknown past.

Haruka frowned slightly at the rejection of her searching but knew that her nephew had good-enough reasons to not want her to find out. She was a bit disappointed in his wary trust, but he would tell her when he was good and ready to. Besides, she had all the information she really needed at the moment. Her frown reverted back to a smile. "You've grown up...in more ways than one."

_And much faster than most people should, to. _

He nodded. "Training with grandma and living out on the streets will do that to you. But I'm still the same Keitaro I always was, just like you said."

"Not really," she said as she stroked her chin reflectively. "You're not the same scrawny kid I remember from when I last saw you. You're taller, much taller than before." This much was true. Haruka, not a short woman by any country's standards, was a good one or two inches shorter than him.

"You've also gotten stronger, both physically and spiritually. Not many people can break stone with their bare fists, let alone turn it to dust and dirt. Did you work out more after I left?"

"Sorta, when you left grandma decided to double the work-load on me since she couldn't torture you. Thanks for making her focus all of her attention on me, by the way."

"Better you than me," she laughed. "She terrorized me enough when I was with her. My roommates in college said I used to burst out screaming when I was asleep, it affected me so much." She groaned. "It was horrible; no one wanted to bunk with me."

As she spoke, Haruka began to walk back to her teahouse. Keitaro followed, struggling not to snicker while listening to his aunt's embarrassing predicaments. He succeeded, barely, but a collection of mocking tears forced their way from his eyes.

"Sorry," he said, clearing away the last of the tears. Haruka let out a "hmph," swishing through the entrance to her home/workplace. Keitaro did the same, and they both sat down at one of the tables.

Haruka sighed and took a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket. She began to shake one out then noticed Keitaro eyeing them speculatively. She raised the pack. "You want one?" He nodded. She handed him the pack, quirking an eyebrow. "I didn't know you smoked."

"I don't." In one fluid moment, he lobbed the pack into an empty trashbin located a few feet away. He folded his hands and stared at an outraged Haruka. "And neither should you. Don't you know those things take years off your life?"

Her expression became disgruntled. "Don't tell me you're also going to go off on a lecture about them being bad for my health..."

"I won't."

"Good." Silence. Haruka fidgeted with her fingers slightly, unused to not having a cigarette between them or her lips. She tried to strike the conversation back up again. "So did mom keep using the same training techniques after I left?"

"Nope, said they were 'too easy on me.' It could have also been because her original training caused too much damage on the surrounding homes." He smirked. "She must have gone through a few dozen lawsuits before she finally agreed to stop."

She snickered. "Aww, no more boulders or wild animals? Such a shame..."

"It's not funny. I _still_ can't believe she let loose a wild snow leopard in the inn that one time. I'm surprised I didn't lose my hide after I woke up to two large, yellow eyes and claws like daggers in my chest." He shuddered at the memory. The only reason he didn't lose half his skin and a decent amount of flesh was because he had screamed so loud that the giant cat was startled by its new playtoy and scampered out of his room. "I continue to wonder whether grandma actually has any sanity left or if she's just pretending."

Haruka sighed. "We both know mom's a _little_ eccentric when it comes to such things..." He snorted and rolled his eyes at the gross understatement. "But she means well. Besides, look what happened. You're much stronger than before, you definitely have more muscles, and the way you thrashed Motoko at her own game proves how much you've improved."

"Motoko-dono?" An image of a stoic-faced, raven-haired girl popped into his mind. "Ah, you mean the kendo girl?"

Haruka frowned at his tactless question. "Yes, the kendo girl. But her name isn't kendo, it's Motoko Aoyama. She also happens to be a champion at national level, so the fact that you beat her shouldn't be taken lightly."

His face flushed in embarrassment at his uncouth manner. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. But in any case, it was just luck that I beat her. I could tell that even from the start she had underestimated me. She only discovered she had when it was too late."

"You really shouldn't belittle yourself, Kei," she said. "Not many people can even stand up to Motoko, let alone hold their own."

"I suppose..."

"Anyway..." He looked up to see her chuckling. "You definitely have changed. You're stronger and I've noticed that your chi levels have grown considerably as well. I'm proud of you."

Keitaro blushed. He was not used to compliments from anyone, and his aunt was especially nice to hear from. "Thank you, Haruka."

The older woman smiled, crossing a leg over the other as she folded her hands and leaned don the table. "You want to know something else?" He looked up from his entwined hands resting in his lap. "You've gotten rather handsome, Kei-kun. You sure you haven't got a girlfriend hidden somewhere?" she asked coyly.

His blush grew even worse. His mouth gaped a few times before he managed to stutter out a response. "H...Haruka! I can't believe you said that! You know I can barely talk to girls, let alone be in a relationship with one."

"Sorry, sorry," Haruka laughed. A sly look spread across her face that so far he had only seen on Kitsune's. "But really, you can tell me. You must have girls throwing themselves onto you. Why, if we weren't related, _I_ would be going after you."

"Haruka!" The flush disappeared as an evil glint flashed through his eyes for a moment before settling down in his lips as a sinister smirk. "Then how about you? You have someone of your own? Someone that helps you spend the night so as not to be...unfulfilled?"

Haruka blushed herself at this comment. It quickly changed into annoyance as she gritted her teeth. "Keitaro...Don't you dare go any further with that..."

He smiled smugly and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands upon his stomach. "Then you stop also."

"Deal."

Another bout of silence.

"I'm happy."

Haruka looked up from the tabletop. "What?"

He smiled and repeated what he had just said. "I'm happy. I'm happy to be able to talk like this. I haven't been able to do such for a long, long time. Thank you, Ha-chan."

She reflected his expression. "You're welcome, Kei-kun. And thank you, too. I haven't had anyone to talk to like this for years. But don't you _dare_ tell the others this..." She winked playfully. "After all, I've got a reputation to uphold."

"Ah yes, the ever-stoic Haruka." He chuckled suddenly. "You really haven't changed all that much since we were kids. Always trying to act so serious with others yet still just a kid."

"You say that again and I'll show you how much of a child I am." Keitaro gulped and nodded his head shakily. His aunt was scary; at least _that_ part hadn't changed throughout the years. Though truthfully, that was one side of her he wouldn't miss all that much if it did. After all, being afraid of how badly your aunt could beat you was _not_ a pleasant topic to dwell on. She sighed at his apologetic expression. "Now look at us, we've gotten way off topic."

He frowned. Yes, they had. But unfortunately for him, he had actually been hoping they could keep on with the conversation. Keitaro really didn't want to touch on the subject again, but it looked like they would have to anyway. "Yeah, guess you're right." He groaned unhappily. "So what am I supposed to do? Deciding to become the male landlord of a girls dorm is not an easy decision to make."

"I know, I know." Haruka closed her eyes for a moment to think. She opened them again and stood up, walking over to the entrance. She gazed outside and then spoke. "Tell you what, wander around a bit and make your decision. I'll send a girl to find them later."

"You sure that's smart?"

"Don't worry," she grinned. "I'll send the best one suited to your," a wink and laugh, "situation. And just so you know, I'm sure mom will accept whatever you choose to do. She trusts your judgment..." Haruka walked back over and kissed him on the cheek. "...And so do I."

Keitaro smiled back at her and stood up. He leaned down and returned the favor to her cheek. "Thanks, Haruka." He smiled again and walked out of the teahouse, but not before asking one last request. "Just...don't pick one that could possibly kill and/or maim me...please?"

She looked surprised and laughed. "Sure, Keitaro. Sure." He grinned, bowed formally, and then rushed outside. Haruka giggled at his actions, watching him run off into the forest next to the café. She then shook her head and made her way to the cash register. Smacking the top soundly, it rang and the drawer popped out. Haruka fished out one of the many packs she had stowed away in it.

She pulled out a cigarette and stuck it in her mouth. The then took her lighter out, flicked it open, and allowed its flame to light the butt of her own little piece of Nirvana. She inhaled deeply, puffing out a small billow of smoke afterward. "That nephew of mine..." Depositing herself on the stool behind the counter, she chuckled. "He'll never really change, no matter how much time passes." Her legs slipped onto the counter, and she leaned against the wall. "Never change at all."

-

On a whim, Keitaro began to whistle. He did not know why nor did he care, frankly. It wasn't an unpleasant tune of sorts, quite the opposite actually. It was joyous and uplifting. It fit his mood perfectly. He felt so carefree, like all of the weight upon his shoulders had been lifted. He hadn't felt this happy for a long time, and even though a life-changing event was ahead of him, he didn't allow this over-hanging concern to worry him. Nothing could ruin the mood he was in now, absolutely nothing.

Gazing up at the tree canopy, he decided he wanted a better view of the place. After all, if he did choose to live there as landlord, he had to remember once again how the property was laid out. He took a grip on one of the trees' trunks and began climbing. He felt the sensation of bark under his fingertips quite invigorating, glad he was adept enough to achieve such a task. Climbing with your bare hands was not easy, and had taken a considerable amount of time for him to accomplish it. But now...it was like second nature.

Emerging from the top, he found himself about halfway between Hinata House and the main street down below. The wind blew strongly up there, whipping his hair across his face and making it even more unruly than before. He gazed upon the blanket of trees, pleased with the view until he was distracted by two distinct feelings coming from the nearby inn. They were intriguing to him and he could only venture that they were two of the younger tenants from the dorm.

One was easy enough to figure out. A regal purple, full of class and discipline, swept its way across the roof, every once in a while sending its own ki out in little spurts. It was calm, collected, owned by someone who knew what they wanted and did not hesitate in attaining their goal. However, the honor emanating from it also indicated that the owner was a very proper person, knowing right and wrong in the same sense as black and white.

_Ahh, Motoko-dono... _ He nodded in realization. _Just like a samurai, unafraid to show her powers yet reluctant to reveal her emotions. _ He tilted his head to the side as he clutched the top of the cherry blossom tree. _But...who is the other one? I can't seem to... _ He smiled softly. _Of course, how could I not know? Her aura and personality fit perfectly together. Su-dono... _

He was right. The young tanned girl's aura was just like her demeanor, bright and effervescent. The yellow aura bulged with life and energy, expanding and contracting at an alarming rate. It was in constant motion, never staying in one place for too long. It was as if an endless wealth of energy inside of her, one that could never be drained or plugged up.

Keitaro laughed fondly when he saw the yellow aura latch itself onto the purple one. It was obvious Su-dono enjoyed Motoko-dono's presence quite a bit, and visa-versa. He could sense the bond between the two as their auras mingled with one another, creating a dazzling display of light to him.

He chose to take his eyes off of them to try and see if he could find the others. Unfortunately, between the interference of the small forest's aura and the house itself, (he had often wondered why his grandmother's inn was like a steel wall when it came to sensing but never bothered looking too much into it) he could not sense the others, and his mood dropped a little.

He frowned. "Now, what am I going to do? I can't stay up here forever..." Keitaro looked around but couldn't find anything of interest. Well, at least he could get some training until he did find something else to do. Prepping himself, he swung back slightly on the treetop before flinging himself onto the next, his fingers nimbly catching its branches. He smirked as it gave way before springing back, himself landing softly and safely.

This was actually very good exercise. The delicate balance needed between brute strength and careful agility was quite hard to reach. But doing so allowed him to grow both better physically and mentally, and he was glad for it. Keitaro repeated the process, leaping for the next tree and then the next. Soon he found himself flying through the canopy at a fast pace. He laughed in unbridled joy.

"YAAHHOOO!"

Motoko's head snapped up from its position of staring down at her sword to the source of the sound she had just heard. She had been practicing when a shout pierced through the empty air. Her eyes caught on a small object leaping through the air above the forest at a tremendous rate. She knew it was human, as it was too large to be a bird or squirrel, but she was amazed to see that the aura of it was _huge_. Larger than hers, full of simple childish happiness, but underlying it was a vast amount of sorrow and despair, threatening to overtake the rest of the aura yet still contained. It was strange...she thought she recognized the chi's type...but it couldn't be so. A powerful chakra such as this couldn't belong to such a weakling of a male. Yet...

"Whatcha' looking at, Motoko?" Her attention switched back to the young girl hanging from her back. Su yawned lazily and nuzzled her cheeks against her friend's. "Is there something more coolies out there than Su?"

The kendoist ruffled Su's hair fondly, letting out a rare smile that she only showed around her. "Do not worry, little one. Nothing is more important than my little sister."

"Yep!" she grinned back. "And Motoko's my big sister! But why do you seem so interested in what's going on over there? It's just that silly ronin."

"What!" Motoko's eyes widened in shock. No, that couldn't be true! It just couldn't!

"Uh-huh," Su nodded. Here eyes became curious as she hopped off Motoko's back and put a finger to her mouth. "Couldn't you tell? That's the same yell he had when he was running through here yesterday." A smile rose to her face. "Though he seems a lot happier now than before."

"Remarkable..." Motoko murmured. "If that is truly the same man..." Su crawled closer to hear the rest. "Then we have greatly underestimated him, both in body and in soul. No one with that kind of aura could be evil at heart."

"I could have told you that!" She raised an eyebrow in amusement at the younger girl. Su shrugged and hopped from one foot to the other, her lips wavering between emotions. "I might not know anything about auras or chi's or whatever like you do. I _still_ think they're a kind of Japanese food you won't let me have."

Motoko sighed in exasperation. "I told you, Su! Chi is _not_ a food! It's your body's energy and you can't eat it!"

Her facial expressions drooped with disappointment. "Oh, fine...I believe you...But still, even though he lied, that's the only bad thing he did. He only did a bunch of funny ones. I think he's nice!"

"Yes, yes." Motoko swung her bokuto over shoulder. "Come, we must go talk to the others. I'm done with my practice, and maybe the others know why that man's still here."

Su saluted her. "Roger dodger, Motoko sir! I shall inform the others of your intentions. Su, over and out!" she laughed and bounded down the stairs from the annex, twirling and jumping the whole way down. Motoko allowed a small chuckle to escape before swallowing it back up and putting on her warrior's face. She did not like to show her feelings too much; only to Su.

She sighed as she readied herself to face the world again, the one full of mystery and deceit. Yet, it was also quite the pleasant place...as long as she had her friends by her side...though she'd never admit. She smiled internally before taking her formal stance and walking down the steps, following the squeals of surprise and giggles coming from inside.

-

Kitsune yawned languidly from her position on the couch. She was sprawled unceremoniously across it, her state definitely not meant to be seen by anyone, especially men, as her clothes were half-off from their looseness. She balanced a beer oh her knee, every once in awhile taking a sip from it as she watched the horse races blare on the television screen. Just another boring day with nothing to do but drink the time away and bet on useless horses that couldn't gallop even if their lives depended on it.

_I'm starting to miss that Keitaro kid, _ she thought absently. _At least with him around, things were a lot more exciting. _ She heaved a great sigh. Oh well, no use to dwell on the past. He was long gone. After he had told them his true identity he didn't even give them the chance to vent on him before saying he would leave as soon as possible. He had been quite adamant about it, saying that he didn't deserve the kindness and hospitality given to him. Kitsune grinned at remembering this. Hospitality? Even after they had done some things that they later regretted, (even Kitsune had to admit that) he still had been so polite to them. He had even gone so far as to offer packing up and leaving then and there.

However, and Kitsune found this both strange and surprising, Naru had said that it wasn't necessary, and that he could stay the night and leave the next morning. Kitsune had noticed the small look of understanding pass between the two and quickly convinced the others to agree. She smirked, recalling the tender look her best friend had spared the fake Tokyo U student right before they left his room. It seemed like her friend had gotten a tiny crush on the young man. Even though Kitsune would have preferred that Naru chose someone else to share, if at all, her affections with, now that she considered it, that Keitaro guy was actually quite the catch.

She sighed, her amusement fading away. Too bad he left. He might have made a nice addition to their little family. She was sure the others would forgive him after a while, maybe even come to l...

"Ugh, Kitsune...Are you getting wasted _again? _ Don't you have anything more constructive to do than lay around and collect dust?"

The fox lady looked up from her place on the furniture to see an annoyed Naru glaring at her. She grinned at the sight. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all. She could have a little fun now...She whined dramatically, causing Naru to feel even more frustrated. "Ohhhh...come on, Naru! It's _so _boring around here...What else can I do? Now that that Keitaro guy isn't here anymore, I don't have anyone to tease." She winked. "And you know teasing's my favorite hobby..."

"Yeah, yeah!" She moved to the couch, and Kitsune scooched over to make room. Naru plopped down on it, sinking into the deep cushions when she did. "I'm just glad that idiot's gone. A pervert like him shouldn't be in a place like this, full of innocent girls he can't wait to get his evil clutches on."

"Oh, really?" Kitsune grinned. She raised a leg from its hanging position to poke the redhead's arm with her toes. Naru look at her questioningly. Her grin grew. "From what I saw last night, you seemed mighty comfortable in his 'evil clutches.'"

"Kitsune!"

Laughter. "Well, am I wrong? I saw that tiny look you sent him. I never thought I'd witness the day when my little Naru got a crush on someone, especially someone whom she so aptly named a pervert."

"You're impossible," Naru growled. She pushed Kitsune's foot back with such force that the young woman toppled off of the couch entirely. But the auburn girl was too much in a fury at her friend's suggestive remarks and too embarrassed that the feelings she had grown for the polite boy had come to light so easily to care if Kitsune was all right. "I do not have a crush on that jerk. Why would I?"

Kitsune grunted, dazed from both the fall and the liquor she had just recently consumed. She clumsily climbed back onto the couch, leaning her head on Naru's shoulder. She made no resistance and allowed Kitsune to support herself on her. After the older woman became comfortable, she spoke on the matter. "Why? Well, besides the fact that he's really cute and polite; he's just got this charm and naivety that makes him into this big cuddle magnet."

Naru sighed dreamily. "Yeah, he really is kinda sweet. But he's also so goddamn contradictory! He can't decide whether to be serious or playful!" She growled and rubbed the top of her head furiously. "He's a mystery, one that I feel absolutely compelled to solve." Kitsune's interest had piqued. The tone in Naru's voice had signaled she wasn't as resolved in her opinion on Keitaro as she claimed she was. She could definitely have some fun with this.

"So, how does he kiss?" she asked suddenly, catching the teenager off guard.

"Huh? Well, he's really gentle, and..." She halted in her tracks, realizing what she had just been tricked into revealing. She watched in horror as Kitsune's face blossomed into a full-out fox grin (patent number 7535-GHD-84764.) Trying to elude her hunter, she backed away from the situation as quickly as possible. "Err...no! I...I didn't just say that! You didn't just hear that!" she yelled in aggravation, her voice muted by the hands clamped over her mouth.

"I knew it!" Kitsune squealed. She sat up on her knees and gripped her friend's shoulders. Forcing Naru to face her, she saw that her face was flushed beyond belief. "You kissed him! That's so cute! You lost your first kiss to a dashing stranger who disappeared into the rising sun, never to be seen again!"

"As if! That sounds like a bad soap opera! And there was no way in hell that guy was dashing!"

"It isn't nice to lie, little Naru..."

"Shut up! I'm not lying!"

"Attention, attention! Captain Su coming in for a landing to deliver an urgent message for Major Naru and Lieutenant Mitsune! Requesting permission to land!"

The two women twisted their heads to see a flying Su heading right for them. They weren't even given the chance to react as she landed right on top of them, making Kitsune fall off the couch for a second time. Both girls gave out squeals of surprise and shock when they were bowled over by an uproariously laughing Su.

"All righty! A three-point landing! Another successful mission by Captain Su!" A groan from Kitsune in her undignified state on the floor captured her attention. "Oh no! Officer down!" She hopped down to the floor and pulled Kitsune up by the cuff of her sweater, yelling into her ear as she did. "Don't you dare die on me, lieutenant! Stay strong!"

"Su, stop that!" Naru managed to pry the eccentric girl off her friend a bit, but it still wasn't enough for Kitsune to escape. "You're doing her more bad than good!"

The young foreigner released her hold on Kitsune, opting instead to latch onto Naru's arm. She put on an innocent look and gazed up at her. "But I was only trying to make sure that Kitsune didn't die. Is that really so bad?" Naru looked at Su and then down at Kitsune who was groaning about "crazy Indian girls." Her mouth quirked and it wasn't long before she broke down into giggles. Naru shook her head, unable to piece a sentence together between her mirth at the obscurity of the situation. Su grinned at her reaction. "So I'm not in trouble?"

"Guessing from Naru-sempai's appearance at the moment, I suppose you aren't." The others turned their heads to see Motoko slowly make her way down the stairs and into the lobby. Su's grin grew as her friend walked in before settling onto the couch. One of her closed eyes opened and looked at Su in bemusement. "But shaking Kitsune like a ragdoll is more likely going to rattle her brains than heal her injuries. Besides that...have you brought the problem to their attention?"

"Err, no," Su laughed in embarrassment, scratching her cheek. "I was having too much fun and totally forgot."

"Tell us what?" Naru asked.

"I suppose it's for the best," Motoko sighed. "Shinobu is not here, and it would not do to missing anyone." Her other eye opened, and she leaned forward, a serious tone in her voice. "Su, if you would be so kind as to get her?"

"Sure thing, Motoko!" Not even moving from her position of being wrapped around Naru's arm, Su cupped a hand to her mouth and shouted in an ear-splitting tone, "SHINOMUUU! Could you come out here!" After a moment's thought, she added, "Pretty, pretty please!"

The blue-haired lass poked her head out of the kitchen. "Yes?" she asked shyly. Her demeanor had already reverted back to the withdrawn, sad little girl she had been before Keitaro arrived. But now...now she was even less willing to give her trust without fear of having it broken – _again. _ "What is it?"

Motoko gave a small yet very warm smile to try and ease the tension. "Su and I would like to talk to you and the others on something, and we would both appreciate it if you could join us."

"Oh. Okay." Shinobu shuffled her way to where they were gathered and sat next to Kitsune, who by now had been able to stand back up and then, without further ado, collapse back onto the couch.

Motoko nodded when she saw that she had everyone's attention. She sat up straight on the couch, intertwining her fingers over her sword that she had laid across her lap. She took a deep breath and began. "I have some rather strange and interesting news to discuss with you. That man, the one who deceived us to think he was a college student, Keitaro Urashima..." Here, the others leaned forward, each wanting to know what she had to say for their own personal reasons. "...Is still here on the grounds."

Their mouths dropped. "What!" They all shouted – Naru showing the most surprise, Kitsune with the most interest, and Shinobu with a little bit of shock written about her face. They were stunned, completely and absolutely stunned, that Keitaro was still hanging around, especially when he had said he would probably never see any of them ever again.

"Yes," Motoko said. "I saw him when I was outside practicing, and Su heard and recognized his voice when he shouted."

"But...but why would he still be here?" Naru stood up and gestured her hands wildly in front of her. A mix of emotions ran through her, the foremost being a sense of relief. Even if she could hardly admit it to herself, let alone Kitsune and the others, the young man had grown on her in the short time she knew him. Whether or not he still remained on the premises did mean a somewhat big deal to her. "I though he left this morning."

"I believe I have the answer to that."

The girls turned to see Haruka leaning against the border to the lobby and the foyer, her customary cigarette hanging form her lips. A small smile, one that usually signified she found something intriguing, was lightly played about her face, her usual stoic eyes full of a mocking shine. She walked over to them, occasionally taking a drag as she did. Halting by Motoko, she took a seat on the arm of the couch.

Motoko nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Hello, Housemother. You say you know why your nephew is still here?"

"Yep," she grinned and winked. It surprised the group, as their housemother was not one to act so playfully with them. Dry wit and sardonic comments were the extents of her sense of humor. "He's still here because I asked to."

By now, the effect of alcohol had dispersed through her, creating a completely sober and interested Kitsune. She jumped up from her lounged position, eager to find out Haruka's motivations for allowing Keitaro to stay. "Now why would you do somethin' like that? He said he'd be leaving, so why's he still hangin' about?"

Haruka sighed as crossed her arms over her chest and a leg over her lap. She chewed on her cigarette for a minute, not saying anything before removing from her mouth. "Something big has come up, and he needed time to make a very important decision."

"What kind of decision?"

"If he makes the right one he'll tell you himself."

Silence. Each of the girls wondered about what kind of decision would make the young man stay around and for what reasons. And also...would they see him again, or would he disappear from their lives just as quickly as he had appeared?

"In any case..." They all looked back up at Haruka, who had gotten off of the furniture and was now walking back to the entrance of the inn. She slipped her shoes back on and tapped them once to make sure they stayed. She twisted her head around to glance at them. "It's been a good half-hour since he started to deicide, so he's probably chosen already. I told him I'd send one of you to get him and bring him back here once he did.

"So congratulations, Narusegawa. You're our lucky winner." She waved her hand absently over her head as she made her way back to the door.

"But wait!" Naru shot up to her feet, not knowing why she had been picked. "Why me? Why not someone else?"

"Because I said so, missie! Now go and get my idiot nephew and bring him here! Besides, I know that you..." Haruka's sentence was cut off when she slid the door shut behind her, leaving her suspicious implication hanging in the air.

Naru stared at her housemates, looking for some sort of support or anything at all. But all she received were careless shrugs or blank faces. She blinked a couple times before huffing and folding her arms. "Fine, I'll do it! But I'd better not hear anything suggestive or lewd..." She glared at her best friend. "_Understand, _ Kitsune?" The woman closed her eyes and leaned back into the couch, pretending that she couldn't care less. Naru grumbled some not-so-choice words under her breath and stomped over to the door, shoving her shoes on and slamming the door as she left.

Kitsune sighed as she opened her eyes to the spot where the auburn-haired girl was last seen. Things were certainly changing around here – everyone's personalities, the atmosphere, even the way they were all interacting with each other. And this whole nexus of change and metamorphosis was revolving around one young man and whatever decision he had to make. She grabbed an unopened beer can, popped it open, and drained it in one gulp.

"Things are gonna change around here," she whispered quietly as she studied the other girls that were still in thought. "I don't know how, I don't know why, I don't know if for good or bad..." She licked her lips, the taste of alcohol still lingering on them. Did it always taste this bitter, this corrosive? Maybe it was the...

"But things are gonna change."

-

"Why me?"

Naru scowled as she walked down the stone staircase. Her clothes and hair were whipped around her as the wind blew around in swirls. She didn't know why _she_ had to be chosen, of all people, to fetch Keitaro. She knew that no matter what the outcome of this confrontation would be, Kitsune wouldn't leave her alone with her thoughts. She would badger and imply until Naru simply went mad.

_Then again, I'll still get to see him. Now that I think about it, he is pretty cute. Maybe I can... _

She halted in mid-step, the dreamy smile she owned converting into an embarrassed blush. "No! I can't think like that!" she shouted at herself. "Not like that! Not at him!"

**And why not? ** a little voice inside of her asked. **A little daydream every now and then never hurt anybody. Especially when your daydream is such a nice guy like that ronin...**

"Oh, shut up," Naru muttered quietly. She couldn't have feelings for him, or the teasing would never stop. But that tiny, stupid little voice of hers just _had_ to tell her otherwise. Now she had no idea what to do, and it had been a long time since she had been this confused. The last time she had felt this way was when _he_ was last there. She shook her head, ending the train of thought not only because of the resurfacing of hurtful memories, but also because she didn't like what destination her reasoning was heading to.

Sighing, she started walking down the staircase again. It wasn't long until she realized something. She didn't know where Keitaro was! All she knew was that he was still on the grounds, but that was all. She had once seen the blueprints for the inn and its surrounding lands, and it was _huge! _ He could be anywhere, and if she looked for him in every single spot, it could take forever...She groaned at the unfairness of it all. But displeasing Haruka was not something she wanted to do. If provoked or instigated enough, she could be scarier than any of their furies combined.

_Well, might as well get started, doubt I'll be allowed back in until I find him. _ She frowned. _Idiot. _

Deciding to start at the main street, Naru trudged down the path until she reached it, brooding herself into a fine grudge against the young man she was sent to find. Just as she passed the Hinata Café, she noticed a trickle of movement emerging from the forest. Her anger and annoyance drained away when she saw who it was.

Keitaro pushed aside a low-hanging branch, shading his eyes from the sun as he moved onto the sidewalk. His hands moved quickly to the middle of his back, pushing into it as he bent backwards. Naru watched in a little awe, her legs strangely stuck to the ground. Seeing him again elicited a feeling inside of her that she could not describe. A rare mix of delight and contentment were the only terms she could possibly put it into. Her voice lodged itself in her throat, unable to leave as she watched him perk up suddenly and trot down the sidewalk. He didn't even see her as she was concealed from view by a patch of tall shrubs.

Seeing that he was now out of sight, her feet were released from their bizarre hold to the ground. She quickly leapt down the last flight of stair, landing lightly on her toes. Looking in the direction in which Keitaro had gone, Naru witnessed him stopping in front of an old photo booth before ducking underneath the curtain and inside. She smirked.

_He's taking a photo booth picture by himself? Now that's just depressing. _ The smirk melted when an idea came to her mind. A slight blush formed but was quickly banished when her ego forbid her body to betray her emotions. _Oh well, not like I have anything better to do. And I'm sure that he'd be honored that I allowed a person such as myself to do such a thing with someone like him. _ She paused, surprised at her overdone burst of pride. _Okay, that was a little conceited. _

Sighing at her change of heart, Naru decided to go along with her first thought. She crept up to the photo booth and snuck in quietly. Luckily, the young man was too busy posing to notice her. She smiled as she moved to her side, taking a gentle grip on his arm and bending down to center herself in the frame.

The light flashed, signaling the picture had been taken, and the smile on Naru grew wider. Now he had something in it that wouldn't make him look so pathetic. The smile disappeared, however, a look of surprise and embarrassment replacing it when Keitaro spoke out, his voice serious and stern.

"It is not polite to sneak up on people like that, Naru-dono. I would have thought that your parents had taught you better." He tilted his head up and turned to her slightly. The side of his face that she could see was characterized by an arisen eyebrow and a small quirk in the corner of his mouth. "Or have you become so accustomed to my presence that you decided to follow me?"

Naru blushed and shot up, annoyed by his remarks. "Now why would I want to do something like that!"

The minute smile Keitaro held swiftly drooped into a frown. "I know that, Naru-dono. I was only trying to ease the tension between us considering how we parted ways." He sighed heavily and then noticed that the little stickers had been printed. He took them from the slot, purposely averting his eyes from Naru's. "But it seems I have only made things worse. Please forgive me for my mistake."

The scowl she possessed melted at the pleading nature in his voice. What else could she do when it came to a tone like his? "It's okay. I'm just still not used to your personality changes."

The young man's eyes gleamed with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Naru sighed and raked a hand through her long hair. "You can't seem to decide how you want to act. You're either somber or playful, someone who's older then they look or only a little child. I don't get you – you can be such a jerk at times but then be such a nice guy at others. It's baffling."

Keitaro smiled sheepishly, not really sure whether to consider her statement a compliment or an insult. "I'm sorry. I'm still not that good when it comes to social matters. I never really had the time nor the motivation to try and learn how to interact with other people properly. Forgive me if I have acted bad-mannered or otherwise."

Naru was confused. What did he mean that he never learned to interact with people? Was he a recluse or something? Did something horrible happen to him that minimized his ability to live in the world around him? She didn't know if she should have asked what he meant, but perhaps luckily, or maybe unluckily (she never really knew), he spoke up again before she even had the chance to open her mouth.

"I suppose you're here because Haruka told you to find me?"

She nodded. "Yeah. She said that you have a decision to make and that I had to bring you back after you made it."

He paused for a moment, wondering how to best breach the surface of his request. It was a little awkward to do, considering he had had so much time to avoid it, but it's not like no one else on the planet ever made the same mistake. "Urm...to tell the truth, I still haven't chosen what to do yet. So unless it's too much of an inconvenience, would you mind waiting a little while longer?"

Naru felt slightly torn at this. On one hand, she wanted to get back to Hinata house as quickly as possible. On the other one, if this decision was as life changing as Haruka made it seem, the least she could do was give him a bit more time. Taking the latter, she said, "Alright, I'll give you some more time. But don't take too long! I _do_ have better things to do than baby-sit you."

He smiled at her approval, although it was a bit uneasy at best. "Thank you very much, Naru-dono. I appreciate you going through this for me." He stood up and walked out into the fresh air. "If you would like, you can come with me. If not, you can do whatever you want, and I'll go back to the inn when I'm ready. I don't wish to be a burden."

Surprised by his generous offer, Naru didn't know how to respond. But after seeing his questioning gaze because of her silence, she shook her head. "Don't worry, you're not any trouble! I...I'd be glad to wait with you until you're ready."

Keitaro bowed slightly. "Thank you very much again." He then began to amble down the sidewalk, back to the stone staircase. Naru had a moment's hesitation before rushing after him. When she got to his side, she slowed down her pace to match his.

"So what were you doing there in the first place? A guy taking photo booth pictures by himself? That's kinda sad, don't you think?"

He stopped, and she walked on a bit further before noticing. She glanced back to see that his head was hung and he was sliding on of the little pictures stamps into a booklet. After putting it in, he sighed and looked at it. He closed it shut, the pages making a "thup" sound as he did. "Call it a hobby if you will. It's one of the few pleasures I can actually have even if it is a little strange."

She took a step forward and leaned towards him. "Do you think I could take a look?"

Almost on instinct, he clutched the notebook to his chest. A self-conscious flush flew across his face, and he looked down at his feet. He mumbled his next sentence so quietly that she barely heard it. "Promise not to laugh?" She nodded enthusiastically, eager to know what would make him so uncomfortable in showing. He sighed. "Very well..." Keitaro reluctantly handed the booklet to her. "But remember, you promised."

"Oh, don't worry. How bad could it..." She opened the book and immediately trailed off. This...this couldn't be right, could it? She flipped to a random page. There was again. Another one. Again. Another one. The same. Every page she flipped to, the same image stared back up at her, always unmoving never changing. The only differences in any of them were the varying frames. She looked back up at him, her eyes full of disbelief and mockery. "Are all of these...are all of these pictures of you...alone?" Keitaro refused to meet her gaze, blush becoming worse. Naru soon began to giggle. She tried to stifle it, but it only escalated into a full-blown laugh. Soon she was cackling loudly, unable to bind her mirth.

Keitaro frowned as he darted his hand forward, snatching the book from her unsuspecting hands and shoved it harshly into his pack. "You promised you wouldn't laugh."

"I-I'm sorry! It's j-just that..." She couldn't continue as she had broken down into another fit of giggles.

"What do you find so funny, Naru-dono?"

As the coldness in his voice registered in her mind, Naru's laughter stalled. She tilted her head up to see that Keitaro had his feet firmly planted on the concrete, his arms crossed over his chest. All of the mirth she had owned drained away in an instant while he stared at her severely. His eyes' usual warmth had vanished, leaving only hard, emotionless orbs. The brown colors of his irises darkened, making them blend almost perfectly with his pupils. They looked as though they were holes that went on for eternity, no soul lighting their way.

She opened her mouth to talk but no sound could make its way out, lost inside her voice box. She had seen this empty gaze before, but it was only brief, not really having time to kick in, and it wasn't even _close_ to this void she witnessed. She tried to speak again. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to-"

"Do you think I enjoy this?" he interrupted. "Do you actually believe I _like_ being in every picture by myself?" His frown deepened, his eyes gaining spite, his eyebrows slanted over them. "Yes...you honestly do. You're so damn sure of yourself that you think I prefer taking a picture of my lonesome self rather than with someone else, hopefully one of the opposite sex. Well, do you know what I say to that?" The spite slipped away, revealing regret.

"I say you're right."

Naru didn't know how to reply. She wasn't given the chance, however, as Keitaro hitched up his pack and continued.

"At least...I wish I could, but it wouldn't make a difference anyway." His bowed his head forward, his bangs covering up his face. "Do you wish to know why I do it, even though most people would call me a pathetic loser?" She nodded, nervous as to what the answer might be.

"Because it helps me smile."

He raised his head, his eyes now reflecting only loss. "Because in every single one I can smile. And as long as I can smile, I don't have to worry about the hole in my heart. For one tiny moment, the sadness, the pain...they don't matter. Even if my smile may be as empty as space, I don't care...because I can just forget." He smiled ruefully and scratched his cheek.

"Forgive me again, Naru-dono. I did not mean to trouble you with my problems. Maybe...maybe it would be best if you went home and let me come back later." He brushed by her, trying not to worry the young woman any further. "I suppose I should go now. Goodbye, Naru-dono."

_What the heck was I suppose to accomplish with that? All I did was hurt Naru-dono even more. Screw this whole deal, I really should just leave... _

Naru stood frozen to the spot, that same strange force rooting her to the ground once more. She didn't know what to do, didn't know what to say, didn't know how to act after what he had told her. Because of his speech she was a mess of emotions, absolutely confused on what was going to happen next. All she could do was apologi-

"Keitaro, wait!" He looked over his shoulder to see Naru run up to him. She stood in front of him, panting a bit from the distance she had just sprinted. After taking her hands off of her knees, she placed one on his arm. "Please, I...I just wanted to..."

He smiled sadly and removed her hand from his limb. "Naru-dono, don't. Just...leave me be for now." He abruptly began to walk away from her again.

But Naru was not going to have any of this. She growled in frustration and leapt forward, crushing his hand with hers in a vice-like grip. He winced in pain while she spun him around to face her. Her look of irritation disappeared when she noticed the pain in his features. She gasped and let go of his hand, which he immediately began to massage with his other. She blushed at his expression, putting the hand she used to grab his to her chest.

"I...I wanted to apologize. It was insensitive of me to laugh after I promised not to."

He sighed and ran his fingers through his bangs. "Naru-dono, it really is not necessary..."

"No, Keitaro!" His head shot up slightly from her sudden outburst. "It was wrong and mean and stupid of me to do so, and I need to say I'm sorry. So will you please just accept my it so I won't feel so damn guilty!"

His eyes twinkled briefly and his mouth quirked impishly. "Well, if you are going to be so adamant about it, I suppose I have no choice but to accept. Though I still see no reason as to why you should apologize." He bowed to her. "But I do appreciate your show of sympathy. Thank you."

Naru sighed in relief. That was good. He had forgiven her, and everything was all right. But now what was she going to do? Would he allow her to stay with him until he made his decision, or would she have to go back to the dorm, alone, and wait for him? Secretly she hoped for the former, though she would never say it out loud.

"Umm, so..." she looked down at the sidewalk and grounded the toes of her shoe into it. "Could...could I...?"

"Would you like to take a quick break, Naru-dono?" She glanced back up at him to see his finger pointing at a wooden bench located at the base of the staircase. He smiled at her surprised look. "I'm sure it would be more comfortable sitting down than standing here, right?"

Naru grinned, ecstatic at the fact that he had asked her what she was too embarrassed to ask. "Sure! I was kind hoping we could do that. I don't like the idea of just loitering around here." On an unknown instinct, she grabbed Keitaro's hand and dragged him over to the bench, forcing him to sit down before settling a comfortable foot or so away from him. Naru fidgeted absently with the hem of her skirt, taking a quick peek at the young man beside her every so often. He seemed content where he was, his head bowed a little and a reminiscent smile on his face. Finally, she spoke. "I guess it's true about you not being an expert around girls."

Keitaro chuckled. "Girls, boys, petty much any human being I'm not related to. But yeah, girls especially a mystery to me. More than to most men at least."

"Hmm...Well, you seem to be doing a pretty good job around me so far."

"Yes, right after I treated you so harshly."

"I told you, it was my fault for laughing at you in the first place."

"Very well, Naru-dono."

Silence. Naru bit her bottom lip, wondering on what to do next. She supposed she could ask him what big decision it was he had to make but quickly opted not to, as it would be rude to pry into his business. Instead, she picked the alternative of seeing what he was going to do about the matter that caused this mess in the first place. "So...what's going to happen with Tokyo U?"

Keitaro raised his face to gaze up at the sky. His eyes had regained the hope and warmth he lost when he had chastised Naru. A broad smile crossed his face, making it seem like he was laughing at some personal joke. "If I give up now, I guess I really _will_ be a liar." He turned to her and closed his eyes. "I'll try for a little longer."

"That's great!" Naru smiled. Since the atmosphere had become so friendly, her brain had kicked itself into romantic mode. Purely by accident, or rather the lingering feelings from the night before and ones being shared by them at that moment, Naru did something that she would never do otherwise. With a, "Good luck, ronin!" she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Right afterwards, she blushed furiously and returned back to her position, moving several inches away. She held her flaming cheeks in her palms, berating herself.

_Why did I do that! Now he's gonna think I like him or something! _

**And is that really such a bad idea? **

_Shut up! _

Meanwhile, Keitaro, who was blushing considerably himself, was absolutely shocked. He placed a hand on his cheek where she had kissed him, feeling the warm moistness of her unintentional show of affection. "N-Naru-dono...W-what was that for?"

Naru shifted anxiously. "Urm would you believe it was for good luck?"

"If Naru-dono would wish so."

"I would."

"Very well."

Silence.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Silence again. The tranquil atmosphere now completely shattered, he wondered what he could say so as to relieve the tension. Also, he didn't want to think about the meaning of the kiss, or the idea that it may have been an effect of the night before. As pretty as Naru was, he didn't deserve to even _consider_ trying to get with her. It was just the way the world worked. He was unworthy and that was that. Suddenly, a topic came to Keitaro's mind that could not only help out with the situation but also with his decision.

"Naru-dono, what would you say if I became the landlord of Hinata House?"

Naru's blush subsided as she looked up at him in confusion. "What?"

"Hypothetically..." he gestured with his hands vaguely. "If I became manager of the inn, what would your opinion be?"

She cocked her head, her brows furrowed in puzzlement. Why would he be asking such a thing? Was this the big choice he had to make? If that was the case, then she might as well tell the truth. If it wasn't, then...well...it wasn't.

"What would _I_ think if you took over the inn?" Keitaro nodded. "Well, first I'd have to say that it would be totally wrong. You're a guy, and there can't be a land-_lord_ of a girls dormitory. Then there's the face that you lied to us about being in a prestigious college. Not to mention that you saw us when we weren't exactly..." She blushed. "...decent to the eye. That alone should prove you're not the best for the job."

At every reason she gave, Keitaro's attitude drooped a little more. _I guess it's true, he thought sadly. Naru-dono and the others really do see me unworthy of being landlord of Hinata house. _ He chuckled bitterly. _Not like I expected them to welcome me with open arms. _ However, due to his self-deprecation, he almost missed what the young woman said next.

"But...besides that, I think you would make a fine manager. You're kind, hardworking, and even though you might have lied, you had enough guts to come out and tell the truth even if it meant your having to leave. It took courage to do that, and the others would definitely respect you for it. And also..." Hesitantly, she put a hand on his. He looked at her in surprise while she smiled shyly. "I honestly believe you can be landlord. You're a nice guy, Keitaro, and I really think you have what it takes."

He digested her confession for a moment before allowing a smile to appear on his face. He removed his hands from Naru's and slowly stood up. Turning around, Keitaro gave her a formal bow. "I thank you for your help, Naru-dono. I think I've finally made my decision now with it." He extended his hand to her. "If you may, I would like to escort you back."

Naru smiled capriciously. She took a dainty grip on his offered appendage and allowed him to pull her up. "I would be delighted."

With that, the two made their way up the stone staircase to the inn.

-

When they finally arrived at the top, they were surprised to find the rest of the tenants crowded outside the main door. Haruka was with them, making amiable conversation until she noticed her nephew, along with Naru, finishing the last flight of stairs. She smiled wryly at the way they walked by each other, not too close to be conspicuous but not too far away from each other either. She waved at them, silently ordering the two to come over. When they did, she said, "So, you finally got him to come back, eh, Narusegawa?"

"Yes, Housemother."

"What took you so long?" Kitsune asked. "We've been waiting here forever!" A sly grin overtook her contours as she leaned forward towards an anxiously growing Naru. "You weren't doing anything you shouldn't have, were you?"

Naru blushed as a reply. "Kitsune!"

Haruka sighed in irritation as she ignored the two arguing friends and turned to her younger relative. "So, Keitaro...have you finally made a decision?"

"Yes." He scratched the back of his head and continued. "I've chosen...to do it."

She smiled. "Wonderful. Mom will be so pleased when she hears this." She turned back to the girls, who by now had exploded into a full-blown teasing fest between Naru and Kitsune with Motoko, Su, and Shinobu as the audience. She cleared her throat, but it was to no avail as Naru's screeching at Kitsune drowned out all other noise. She put her face into her palm and sighed, her irritation growing from their antics. Ultimately, the annoyance snapped her tolerance, and she barked out a command.

"QUIET!"

At this, the girls instantly stopped, a surprised look on all of their faces as they turned to face Haruka. She tapped her foot impatiently until she saw that she had all of their attention. When she did she nodded in approval. "Good, you've finally stopped acting like a bunch of little kids. Sometimes I wonder how you two made it out of grade school."

As the guilty part hung their heads down in shame, Keitaro tried to hide a smirk that was steadily climbing its way out of his mouth. He covered it with his hand, pretending he was giving a yawn. But it wasn't the girls he was laughing at, oh no, it was the person yelling at them, _that_ was the funny part. _Auntie telling someone not to act like a child. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. _

Haruka caught the muffled chuckles of her nephew but chose to ignore it in face of a much bigger event. She sighed and stuck her customary cigarette in her mouth. "Well, now that I've got your undivided attention, I can tell you why I've gathered you here today. As you know, my nephew, Keitaro here, was told he had to make a decision. I'm going to be honest, what he says now will change everything. Hopefully, you can accept it and allow him to perform it, too." She nudged Keitaro forward. "Go on, Kei."

He looked over his shoulder, only to see her give an almost unnoticeable wink. He sighed, resigned himself to his fate, and turned around to the watchful eyes of his soon-to-be-tenants. He gulped. It was time to cross the Rubicon. "Hello, ladies. I'm back to make an important announcement. Due to some...unforeseen circumstances, it appears I will not be leaving. Instead I...I..." He bowed down to the dawning of shock on their faces.

"I would like to greet you all as the new landlord of Hinata House."

A/N: Well, this chapter is finally done! Ugh, I feel so tired...I've had a splitting headache that no amount of painkillers have been able to fix for the past week, and I'm severely annoyed! Not only that, but for some odd reason I feel like I haven't gotten enough sleep, even though I have! I've been falling asleep in school and getting yelled at by my teachers. All in all, not a good period in my life...I'll talk to you again about the next chapter after the interview!

Yamiga: Hello... _ (yawns) _

Chaos: Dude, you okay? _ (pats Yamiga on the back) _

Yamiga: _ (nods) _ Yeah, work has been having a toll on me though I really haven't been doing much. I've just felt really weak lately. Anyway...how ya doing, Keitaro? Like the new chapter?

Keitaro: Err...it was nice. Thank you for cooling the misses down. I really appreciate that.

Yamiga: Glad you do. Then in that case...you want to meet them now?

Keitaro: _ (anxiously rubs the back of his neck) _ I guess...

Yamiga: _ (smiles) _ Cool. Chaos, would you go get them, please?

Chaos: _ (huffs) _ And why do _I_ have to go get them?

Yamiga: _ (frowns) _ Two reasons. One, because you should be grateful I'm even letting you be here. And two, I really don't feel good. So could you just be a good boy and listen to me for once?

Chaos: Fine. _ (sighs; walks off to a door materialized and opens it) _ Yamiga said you could come in now.

_The girls walk in one by one. Upon noticing each other, Keitaro and Naru blush and look away again. The Hinata House tenants look on in confusion while Yamiga and Chaos do the same in amusement. _

Yamiga: _ (claps hands together) _ Well, now that we're all here, I'd like to introduce you ladies again to author world.

Kitsune: And _who_ are you again?

Yamiga: _ (sweatdrops) _ Urm...let's just say you do know me from another lifetime, and leave it at that.

Su: Well...you are kinda cute. _ (grins) _ Will you be my new playmate?

Chaos: _ (laughs) _ And then some things never change.

Yamiga: _ (smiles) _ I suppose...But in any case, can we get this over with? We can talk more with the others at the next interview.

Chaos: Sure!

Chaos and Yamiga: Please Review!

Kitsune: But _who_ are they!

A/N: Ugh...I think I may be coming down with a cold...Ah well, that's life. anyway, I'm gonna be a lot more prompt in my updating. I'll update one more chapter of AMWAL then post my new 'Threads of Fate' story right after that. After that, the next chapter I post will depend on three things. One, it'll depend how lazy I feel. You've realized I go through periods of not doing anything, right? Two, it'll depend on how fast I write my new chapters. Sometimes I write real fast, and sometimes I have so much trouble finding a good start. Three, it'll depend if I can keep my attention on one story long enough! I'm already posting four different stories, drafting three more on paper, and have three more on my mind's backburner! _ (sighs) _ I really need to learn how to focus...Anyway, can't wait to see you next time! Until then, please review, and remember, no flames!

_Preview! _

_Next Chapter: Learning About the Landlord _

_Keitaro lowered his head into the warm water, gurgling in irritation. A fox in human guise, a shy little flower, the human embodiment of the Energizer Bunny, a modern-day samurai, and a girl who couldn't seem to escape his thoughts. They were all people that he would have to acquaint himself with as the new landlord. He looked Su, watching as she hopped back over to the others, pointing and laughing at him as she did. _

Well, at least my life won't be boring anymore...


	4. Learning About the Landlord

A/N: Hey, guys! I'm back! Sorry, I couldn't make the week. I decided to wait a bit longer since I kinda wanted more reviews...Mesa just being greedy. Heh. Anyway, I really had to rush what I did do. It turned out I had sinus problems mixed with a bad head cold and a sudden attack of allergies. It was like _BAM, WHAM, CRACK! _ And then I fall down, go boom. Ya know? I was laid out for a couple days in bed, sneezing and coughing my brains out. I even had to skip work for a day because I didn't feel like hacking all over the deli section. Aren't I just a hygienic little bugger? _ (laughs) _ Anyway, I'm done with this chapter, but unfortunately to those who like the long ones this is surprisingly short. Sorry. Anyway, I'll talk to you guys again at the end of the chapter. And a now a thanks to my reviewers! 

**Innortal: ** I always enjoy talking back to my reviewers. It lets you know that I actually care what you think. I'm just glad that you care about my words as well. I'm also happy that my character sketches are good too. Thank you for caring and thank you for the kind review

**Malcolm Yuy: ** hmmph, a reviewer that agrees with my beliefs on the whole relationship thing...cool! Yeah, headstrong girls are nice sometimes. You know that they'll actually give you a decent argument and not just agree instantly. The battle's half the fun! _ (laughs) _ and the self-loathing part? That's often used to describe me as well. In any case, thank you so much for the review. I will continue this fic to the end

**Duo the Ecchi Sessha: ** spell-check, eh? Eh, I do that. But I gave up on the pre-reader because it often took too long for them to get back because they can't just drop everything to read my fic, you know? Anyway, thank you for the review. Glad you like the storyline

**Hanku Royiaki: ** fell on your ass laughing? Well...that's good! _ (laughs) _ glad you like the story! It might take a while for the next update though but you can keep yourself busy with the other stories I'll be updating soon. Enjoy! And thank you!

**ShadeXH: ** hmmph, I know it takes a while to update. The one bad thing about my writing is I have no structure to it. I write whenever I have the chance and when inspiration hits. Sometimes I write several chapters in one go, sometimes I can barely do half of one. It all depends on whether I want to or not. sorry! But thanks for the review

**NefCanuck: ** uh-huh, the whole "gain a spine" thing has always made me wonder too. Focused? That's actually a pretty good term to describe Keitaro with. He never really knew what the hell he was doing, did he? I am thankful for this review, that I am _ (winks) _

**Saraton: ** actually, your English isn't that lousy. Especially considered to today's American generation. Half the stuff I don't understand at _all! _ Hell, I start spouting gibberish whenever I get excited. Still, thank you for the review. The fact you find the characters more fascinating is awesome

**TornadoReviewer: ** hmm, I like my new Naru a lot more. I couldn't stand the fact that she was so damn unsure of her feelings. There will still be "Naru punches" _and_ screaming though not _nearly_ as severe as the manga shows. I like Mutsumi too. She's just too cute for words! _ (laughs) _

**zornoid13: ** thank you. I will as soon as possible

**petran: ** it's when people like you that gives me such a detailed review on what they liked in my fic, I can't help but feel proud. Really, you don't know how much joy your review brought to me. I appreciate that you liked the fact that I actually gave a telling of how Kei decided to become landlord. I always wondered how he could decide just like _that_. And the photo booth? Just inspiration. I love it when that happens. Anyway, thank you so much for the review. I'll update as soon as I can. Thank you! _ (bows) _

**Zefrn: ** coffee? Uh-uh, no thanks, I hate the stuff. It never really works on me anyway as I seem to have natural energy all the time. Just depends on what time of the day it is. And don't worry, I wasn't sick. Well, I was but it was just a combination of several things at once, like I said in the author note. Unfortunately, ALGO will not be updated as soon as I hoped. I've had a little bit of writer's block on it but don't fear! I'm writing other stories as well! Hope that you'll enjoy them! Thank you for the review!

**N: ** thanks for liking the new way I'm writing LH. It's a nice change from just humor.

**Wonderbee31: ** thank you for the review. I never liked the fact that Haruka played such a small part in both the manga and the anime. This time around, her role will grow exponentially. Go Haruka! And like I said before I also hated Naru's wishy-washy nature, drove me _insane! _ Ugh! And the story will turn out a lot sooner, around the end of the fourth volume when a _certain_ event takes place. To all those manga readers, you know what I'm talking about! Thank you for the review!

**Godsbane: ** thank you so much for the review! Another person who thinks this is the best romance fic! I am so very flattered! _ (laughs) _ Subtle, huh? I've never been one for subtlety but I guess that all changes when I write? Heh...And you like the wording too? Well thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Urm...thank you! _ (laughs) _

Thank you to all of my reviewers!

Disclaimer: I, in no way, shape or form, own any of Love Hina. Ken Akamatsu does and I highly doubt he will ever give me the rights to it. So all I can do now is write stories based on Love Hina. Please do not sue! Because if you do...then I probably won't be able to do anything about it at all.

**A Moment Worth A Lifetime   
By Yamiga'sLight   
Chapter 4: Learning About the Landlord**

"Man, such a strange day..."

Keitaro was once again in the landlord's room, now his own. He was quite surprised by the reactions he received after he revealed he was going to be living there as the new owner and manager of Hinata House. After overcoming their shock at his confession the girls were amazingly submissive to what his new job was. They merely whispered a little to each other before telling him that they would allow him to stay, but only if he never performed any of the acts he had done before or else he'd have to resign. Keitaro readily agreed, knowing that he was lucky enough to be accepted. His slight inferiority complex also had something to do with it but he wasn't just about to tell them that.

However, and this was what he was afraid of, little Shinobu did not seem to be able to forgive him for his past transgressions. She had stayed behind after the others had gone back inside, staring at him with the same teary, betrayed expression she had owned when he first left.

He made a motion, hoping he could somehow apologize, but the moment he moved towards her, her face burst into tears, and she ran past him holding an arm to her eyes to soak up her show of sadness. Keitaro felt his heart break as the fact that he had hurt such a sweet and innocent girl registered properly. He knew that he had to make it up to her somehow, but...

In any case, that was done and he had to worry about the present at the moment. He had called his apartment building, regretfully informing Mr. Tanuka that he would no longer be lodging there. Tanuka was a bit disappointed that one of his longest-staying tenants was leaving so suddenly, but was also rather pleased that Keitaro held the same job as he did. He had even made the sly joke of Keitaro "getting it on" with one of the tenants to which Keitaro only laughed in embarrassment.

Luckily, and this made the new landlord very happy too, when he asked if Tanuka would be so kind as to pack his belongings and send them to his current stay of residence, (with him paying the older man for his services, of course), Tanuka had said that it was no problem and that he would even do it for free.

_ "After all," _ Keitaro remembered the hint of mirth in his voice over the phone. _ "It's the least I could do for the young man who's been with me the longest and has always been quite a joy to talk with. Just try to keep in touch with me, okay?" _

Keitaro had whole-heartedly agreed, glad to be able to keep in contact with a...friend. Tanuka said he'd deliver his belongings the next day, obeying Keitaro's request of dropping them off in Haruka's teahouse. The conversation ended on a light note when Keitaro dropped the honorific on Tanuka's name, making the apartment manager absolutely delighted that he was finally being treated intimately.

Keitaro sighed and grabbed the cup of tea waiting for him on the table and took a sip. He grimaced at the bitterness from the leaves. He needed to buy some new ones – these were starting to get old. That, and he needed to buy ones that he didn't get for fifty-yen a pound.

Leaning back, he closed his eyes, contemplating on all that had just happened within the last twenty-four hours. He had arrived at Hinata house, met each of the inhabitants in individual undignified ways, accidentally lied his way in, stayed most of the day, had...He paused for a moment, blushing at the memory. Had a somewhat passionate encounter with Naru, revealed who he truly was, left only to find out he had inherited the inn, and was now the landlord of the entire place. Not bad for a reclusive two-year ronin who had no real contact with other people, even his family, for the past five years.

"I still don't understand why Grandma just handed me the inn out of the blue...One moment she's inviting me over to see her after a long time, and the next moment I find out I'm going to run an all-girls dormitory." A thoughtful look came onto his face as he cupped his chin. "Come to think of it, I have to be one of the first men to do such a thing. Only more of a reason to try and prove that I can do a good job."

**"Or that you could try to initiate a steamy affair with one of the residents. More specifically a young woman with hair that matches her anger and passion."**

Keitaro chuckled quietly as the little voice in the back of his mind took its chance to speak. _I'm sure that Naru-dono would rather give me a punch than a kiss. _

**Didn't look that way this morning...**

"Uh-huh," he mumbled, a slight tint to his cheeks. Even though had evolved only from his loneliness and sorrow while on the streets, it had managed to grow into a more permanent fixture of his psyche. It wasn't as though he was schizophrenic, he wasn't, but the voice had become a basic part of his life, one that gave hints or helpful gestures whenever he wanted or needed them. It wasn't a major component of his mind, but it did always manage to see through his disguises and right into his heart. It only spoke the truth, whether he liked it or not, (usually the latter) and still helped him gaze past his insecurities to what he could really be.

**C'mon man, it looks like that girl really has a thing for you. Go for it!**

_Naru-dono would never allow it. Besides, I'm not... _

**Not worthy, right? Jeez, still using that same old excuse?**

_But it's true. Someone like me does not deserve someone like her. _

**Ugh, sometimes I wonder why I even bother...Fine, if that's how you're going to act, then don't. But know this, if you don't try, you'll never succeed...**

He slumped forward, looking down into his lap after the last words of advice from his mind's voice. It was gone for now, but he knew it would come back. After all, it _was_ a part of him – not like a part of himself could just wander off without him noticing it. But...maybe he should follow its advice. Maybe he should...

"No!" He lightly slapped each of his cheeks with his hands. "I can't be thinking of things like that! It's vulgar and wrong. Besides, I can't be slacking off! It's almost November and I still have the IQ of a sponge! I've got to buckle down and study hard. If I don't..." He shook his head, not even wanting to think of what would happen, and grabbed one of the few study-books he had brought along with him and a pencil before beginning to write.

It wasn't long before a knock came from his door, prompting Keitaro to break from his work and answer it. "Yes, come in." The door slid open, and he turned his head to see who it was. "Oh, hello, Kitsune-dono."

The aptly named "fox woman" sauntered in, her trademark smirk lit across her face. Keitaro grew anxious, as he knew that whenever she owned this devious look something bad was sure to follow. The woman didn't even return his greeting before summoning him with a crook of her finger. "I wanted to ask a favor of you, landlord. Could you come with me, please?" Not waiting for a response, she spun back around and walked back into the hallway.

Too confused by her mysterious actions, Keitaro could do nothing but follow her. As he walked a few steps behind her, his anxiety slowly grew when he recognized just where Kitsune was leading him to. "Urm, Kitsune-dono, where exactly are you taking me?"

"To the women's bath."

He stopped dead in his tracks. "The...the women's bath?"

"Uh-huh." She grabbed his hand and literally dragged him through the opening to the changing room. "Now come on! You can't very well change in the middle of the hall." She snickered at his shell-shocked form. Good, phase one was going along fine. It was time to begin phase two. "Let's get this shirt off of you." This was the only warning she gave before beginning to undo the buttons of his long-sleeve shirt.

Keitaro tried to struggle out of her grip, but found his muscles abnormally weak and hard to move. It was as if the woman had cast a spell on him, making him unable to resist her advances. In reality, it was more likely his hormone-addled brain shutting down his bodily functions. What he _could_ do, though, was to shout out his alarm.

"What...what are you doing!"

"Aww, big boy can't do his own buttons?" she giggled. "Too hard?" Kitsune looked up at his face from her position at chest level. A coy and inviting look shone from her open eyes. Keitaro was mesmerized by them as each of his fasteners came loose, one by one.

Right before the last came off, he recognized the expression. It was the same one she had worn when she had tried to seduce him. Not a very successful encounter, but at least it assisted Keitaro in realizing what was going on. Whether as a joke or in total seriousness, Kitsune was up to. It clicked just as a part of his apparel was about to. Wanting to be firm yet not rude at the same time, he gently pried her fingers from his shirt and backed away. Even if he had figured it out, he was still embarrassed, characterized by slight panting and blush.

Keitaro quickly buttoned his shirt back up, noticing the disappointed look on Kitsune's face. Why? He did not know but he was determined to find out.

"Kitsune-dono, what do you think you were doing?"

She frowned. "What do you think? I was getting you undressed so we could get you into the hot springs."

"I might be a complete and utter moron when it comes to the antics of females but I am _not_ stupid when I suspect I am being tricked or manipulated. Now..." He folded his arms and stared at her questioningly. "What did you bring me here for?"

She puffed out her cheeks and tapped her foot. "Hmph, you're no fun."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I did not realize I had to be fun. I am now your landlord and so must act in the proper way."

"Oh, fine!" she huffed. She turned tail and stomped into the hot spring. "Follow me and I'll tell you what needs to be done."

Keitaro sighed as he watched Kitsune make her annoyed exit. It wasn't as if he liked acting so cold and sterile. But there were various reasons as to why he had to do so. One, he'd rather be seen as only the manager and not as a friend or comrade because he would fail if he even tried. Two, as long as he remained impersonal towards them, he wouldn't grow to care, and as long he didn't care, he wouldn't have to worry about losing another loved one again. A rather morbid and pessimistic view on the world, but it had taken too long to just _begin_ to heal the unseen scars of his battered soul to bother with this type of interaction.

He sighed once again and stepped cautiously onto the slippery rocks of the springs, wondering why Kitsune had tried to trick him into getting him in there. It hardly seemed worth it, but he wasn't about to delve into the mind of the woman, worried of what he might find. He was surprised, however, when he found that the rest of the tenants, minus Shinobu, were waiting for him along with Kitsune. He tilted his head a little in befuddlement. "What are the rest of you doing here? I thought only Kitsune-dono needed to see me."

"Well I did, but so does everyone else who lives here."

"We needed to tell you what duties you now have as landlord," Motoko added.

"In fact..." Su hopped up next to him and linked an arm through his. "Your first job is to wash the _entire_ outdoors bath!" She waved her around, exaggerating the point of her statement. She then grinned and looked up at Keitaro. "Aren't you lucky!"

He untangled his arm from Su's and stepped forward, taking in the expansive area of the bath. It was rather large, spanning a good twenty yards in any direction from its center. It would probably take a couple of hours if only one person worked on it, but luckily for Keitaro, he wasn't a normal person. He turned back around to face them, his eyebrow quirked. "Is that all?"

"What do you mean, 'Is that all'! Can't you see how much you have to do!"

He blinked. "It's not like I haven't done this before."

Kitsune blinked also, but more in surprise than Keitaro's confusion. She took a step towards him and craned her neck to gaze at him. "What? You've done this before? When?"

"Sure," he nodded. "When I lived here Grandma made me do nearly _all_ of the chores. The only one I wasn't allowed to were the repairs because she was afraid I would hurt myself. In fact, now that I'm older, I can probably do all of the chores a lot easier and quicker, including the repairs. You wouldn't believe how tough it is to use tools bigger than you." He paused for a moment as he rolled up his sleeves and pant-legs of his cargos. "Now, if you will excuse me, I believe I have some work to do."

-

"Wow! Look at him go!"

"He is quite fast, isn't he?

"Is it even possible to make a turn like that?"

"..."

Mixed feelings running throughout them, the girls watched in mingled awe and amusement as Keitaro plowed through his job of cleaning the bath. It was surprising that he had yielded to their orders so easily, as he had just become the manager and was now being told to do one of the least favored tasks of the dorm. It wasn't because they wanted him to leave forever and never return. In truth, each of them had become accustomed to his presence, whether it be a little or a lot. But the principle of the matter was that he was still the _male_ landlord of a _girls_ dormitory. The current tenants had to make sure he was worthy of such a title. If he could prove himself, he could stay. If not, they would make his life as miserable as possible as long as he remained.

However, he had been doing a rather good job so far. Without even a complaint he had jumped into cleaning the vast expanse of stones that made up the hot springs. It was intriguing to watch the young man nearly glide over the ground as he pushed the broom in front of him. A smile had formed on his face, which was strange as menial work was not exactly a fun task, especially for any of them.

Keitaro only smiled, unaware of their watch, only focusing on the task at hand. It had been a while since he had last cleaned this place. The design had changed dramatically. Hinata had knocked down the barrier separating the men's from the women's bath, creating one large one. He supposed it was no longer necessary as only the fairer sex would now live there. But still, the springs had an almost...quaint feel to it now. Ah well, that's what time did – it changed things.

He made a last pass around the springs before slowing down and viewing his work. His face was flushed and his breathing heavier than before but the satisfied grin on his face proved it all to be worth it. Shouldering the broom, Keitaro walked back over to the girls and gave a small bow. "It would seem I am done. I hope it is satisfactory."

Kitsune walked around a bit before squatting down and wiping her finger across the ground. Rubbing her fingers together, she exclaimed, "You missed a spot." She grinned suddenly. "Do it over!" Keitaro frowned at her critically as it was obvious she was just picking on him. She merely winked in response to his expression.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Keitaro let out what sounded like a chuckle. "Very well, Kitsune-dono. I shall do it again."

Motoko observed the young man begin to sweep the area all over again before turning to Kitsune. "Was that really necessary?" she asked, a bit of exasperation in her tone. "There really was no need to. We already decided to let him stay, and he hasn't done anything to prove us wrong in our decision."

"I know, I know," Kitsune laughed at the younger girl. "But he's just too cute when he's trying so hard like that; it's simply irresistible to tease him." Her eyes twinkled and she playfully elbowed Motoko in the side. "Don't you think he's cute, Motoko?"

She coughed at the implication. "That is still no reason to do so." But if one had been paying close attention, one would have noticed the tiniest hints of a blush fading away from her cheeks after their sudden entrance. Luckily, Kitsune's attention was more on the new landlord and less on the young kendoist to notice.

After another cleaning of the hot spring and another attempted judgment by Kitsune (he had politely refused to repeat the job, and was quickly backed up by both Motoko and Naru) Keitaro found himself seated by the edge of the hot springs with a hyper Su clinging to his back. She had seemed to become attached to him after discovering that he had almost as much energy as she did. Currently he was trying to avoid being put into a headlock by the rambunctious junior high student.

"Su-dono," he groused, managing to slip out of her grip for the dozenth time in the past several minutes. "Won't Motoko-dono become angry with me if she sees how much time you're spending with me?"

"Nahh...don't worry, ronin." Keitaro blanched at the amusing (and insulting) nickname the young foreign girl had bestowed upon him. "Motoko's really straightforward with her feelings. If she were angry with you, you'd be off in space right now." He gulped, remembering the reaction she had had towards him when they had first met. That was true; if she held any ill will towards him at least he would know of it.

Deciding to take advantage of his disjointed attitude, Su tried to get Keitaro into another headlock. Wrapping her legs around his neck, she pinned him down to the ground, gleeful that she had finally succeeded in trapping the young man. It took a moment for Keitaro to realize what had just occurred. When he did, he flushed horribly when he saw that the hold Su had put him on him gave him a rather perverted view of her panties.

With an imminent nosebleed arriving, Keitaro twisted his head not only to avoid staring but also to try and disrupt the balance that Su's legs had on him. Finding that his movements had made a gap, he slipped through it and flipped away onto one of the boulders scattered around so as to avoid any retaliation.

Holding a hand to his chest, his face a blazing crimson, Keitaro panted at his daring escape. "Su-dono!" he cried in minor annoyance. "What was that for?"

Su grinned, ecstatic at the way her new playmate had gotten away from her. "Wow! You're really good!" Tilting her head in mock innocence, she said, "Not even Motoko can get out of my holds when I really get serious. And you did it like it was nothing. That's so coolies!"

Keitaro closed his eyes and gave a flustered smile. "Urm, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not but thank..." Seeing another attack was coming from the sudden flash of the tanned girl's aura, he flipped backwards without even opening his eyes onto the ground. "...you."

Su grinned ferally at how close he had cut it before jumping away from her. She hadn't had this much fun for a while as Motoko would never play with her like Keitaro did but rather act like a punching bag for her hyperactivity. This didn't mean she didn't love Motoko any less, but it was more fun to play with someone who would do more than stand around and take the brunt of her antics. Choosing to try and get him again, Su leaped off of the boulder at Keitaro.

_Some people will never learn... _ He laughed softly to himself and took a step back just as Su was about to latch onto him. Unfortunately, he failed to notice the bucket he had just been using to clean the hot springs with. With his foot now stuck in it, Keitaro was unable to keep his balance and fell backwards into the spring. A giant splash later, and he was soaked from head to toe.

"Nya ha ha!" Su laughed, pointing at the waterlogged Keitaro. "The ronin's all wet!"

Keitaro lowered his head into the warm water, gurgling in irritation. A fox in human guise, a shy little flower, the human embodiment of the Energizer Bunny, a modern-day samurai, and a girl who couldn't seem to escape his thoughts. They were all people that he would have to acquaint himself with as the new landlord. He gazed at Su, watching as she hopped back over to the others, pointing and laughing at him as she did.

_Well, at least my life won't be boring anymore... _

- 

"Hmm...got a sore back..." Keitaro reached behind him and pulled his arms together, cracking his body as he did. He rolled his shoulders to rid himself of the tingly feeling, the slight burn in his muscles something he found pleasing. "Haven't done work like that for a while. Feels good, though..." He let out a small groan of comfort before falling on his back. It was nice to let his muscles ache after a good day's work, it meant that he had worked hard. He sighed and opened his eyes.

"What the...?" He sat up quickly in disbelief, ignoring the snippets of pain that resulted from his body's unwanted movements. Right above his head was a giant hole in the ceiling. He couldn't believe this defect had evaded him for so long. How could he have never noticed it? Such a hazard to the residents of the inn should have been his first priority.

"This is a pretty big hole. Wasn't here when I left..." Looking around, he took hold of his table and positioned it under the hole. "Might as well fix it. It is my duty as landlord after all." Pushing off of the table. Keitaro gripped the edge of the hole and pulled himself up. He was soon stopped when his head came into contact with something. "Huh? Is this a lid?"

As he moved to push it away, a sudden realization came to his mind. This was a girls dorm now, not a coed inn, so any room he entered other than his own might be one of the female tenants. Not only was this rude but also hazardous to his health as it was proven that the girls were rather territorial, and if he invaded their privacy while they were doing something it was more than likely that they would try and punish him for it.

This did not appeal to Keitaro, both with the fact that he might be harmed in the process of entering and also the idea that he might dent their dignity and pride with his unapproved intrusion. But since he couldn't tell if someone was actually in the above room as his aura skills tended to be greatly diminished within the walls of the dorm, he decided to simply knock and hope someone would answer.

Rapping lightly on the wood, he was glad to hear someone walking across the room to the hole. The said person muttered something under their breath before removing the cover. Their eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Keitaro's face popping up from the hole. "K-Keitaro?"

"Naru-dono?"

The two just stared at each other, an unknown air of awkwardness appearing out of nowhere. Naru was the first to regain her composure and take control of the situation. "What are you doing?"

His eyes cleared a bit at her question and, after shaking his head to calm his thoughts, answered. "There's a hole in my ceiling. I came to investigate any problems it might cause." He gestured upwards. "Unless I'm intruding, I would like to come up and check it out."

"S-sure."

He nodded in gratitude and pulled himself up and through the hole that connected their rooms. _So this is Naru-dono's room, _ he mused absently. After climbing, he settled down next to the hole and began to examine. "This is some pretty rotten wood," he stated. He turned to the ginger-haired girl. "Naru-dono, why did you not have this hole fixed? You could be hurt quite badly if you don't pay attention."

She shrugged, feeling a little anxious of the concern he was directing at her. "I never really had any need to. Mrs. Hinata and I used to talk to each other all the time through it. It holds a lot of sentimental value for me." She smiled at the memories brought up from the conversation. Hinata had become like a second mother to her, helping her out in her times of troubles and when it was most needed.

"Even so..." Keitaro replied uneasily. He bent over and carefully scrutinized the damage, allowing Naru to get a good eyeful of him. He picked up his head and grinned at her. "I would be sad if you got hurt knowing that I could have prevented it." Naru blushed suddenly, something that he did not understand. "Naru-dono? Are you all right? Your face is bright red..."

"I...I'm fine! There's no need to worry!" The way he had said he would be sad had made her heart flip inside her chest. Not only that but...he was also _really_ good looking all of a sudden. Before, at the bath, she hadn't been wearing her glasses, so he had been mainly a blur to her, and when she was wearing her glasses his clothes had covered too much of his body to see how he was built. But now, with the young man changed into a cotton tank top and sweatpants, she could easily see the taut physique he had trained for so many years. Add to the fact that his face held an innocent air and he became simply adorable.

Keitaro noticed how her eyes wandered from his to various parts of his anatomy at random intervals. His face flushed in embarrassment when realizing how he was dressed. "Ahh...Forgive me, Naru-dono. I had to change after falling into the spring."

Broken from her thoughts by his childish humiliation, Naru laughed when remembering just _how_ he had fallen in. "I saw," she said, her laughter trickling off. "Su's seems to have taken a liking to you. It's funny; not many people are able to keep up with her."

He nodded back, not angry that she had laughed at him. He had laughed at himself after the event, as it was hard not to see the humor from his accident. Slapstick was the core of all comedy, he assumed. "Su-dono is a very sweet girl, even if she's a bit...eccentric." The two shared another laugh as the blatant understatement.

"Well..." Keitaro stood up and brushed off his backside. "I better get back to work. It looks like I have a lot to relearn about this place." He slipped his legs into the hole and spared Naru one last glance. "It was nice to talk to you, Naru-dono. And please, whenever you decide to have the hole fixed, don't hesitate to tell me. I'll repair it as soon as I get the materials."

"Sure." He smiled and fell back into his room. Soon afterward, Naru replaced the lid over the hole. She then put her Liddo-kun, a strange stuffed animal that resembled a rabbit spliced with a mouse and squirrel, on it to weigh it down. Somehow...she didn't want the hole to be closed off anytime soon. _Because if it was...he wouldn't... _

"Enjoyin' yourself there, hon?"

Naru's head snapped in the direction of the voice. There stood Kitsune, leaning against the doorway, one of her numerous fox-grins plastered on. She strolled into the room and grinned even wider, a knowing glint in her eyes. Naru recognized that look and knew exactly what it would lead to. Cutting straight to the chase, she said, "Kitsune! How long were you standing there!"

"Ohh...long enough," she responded. "You seem to be getting really friendly with our landlord there. Sure there isn't anything going on between you two?"

Naru blushed as she remembered the one thing that had transpired between them but she knew that if she told Kitsune this she would never hear the end of it. "Of course not! Why would I want to do anything with _him!" _

"Okay, okay," she shrugged. "But you know..." She leaned over and looked her friend in the face, smirking. "If you don't, then I will. He's quite the catch if you get my drift." Kitsune put a hand to her face in a demure manner. "Such a manly little boy...Wonder if he's as manly in other areas as well..."

Naru's patience finally snapped.

"KITSUUNEEE!"

- 

Keitaro's eyebrow rose as the cry of anger went through the air. "What was that?" He shook his head and opened the file that contained the floor plans and list of residents that Haruka had given him earlier. "Oh well, none of my business." His fingers traced their way along the blueprints, taking note of who was in what room. _Let's see...Naru-dono is above me, Kitsune-dono is next to me, Shinobu-dono is down the hall, and Su-dono and Motoko-dono neighbor each other on the second floor. _ He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back. _I'll have to be careful around their rooms. Don't want to be seen as improper if something happens. _

Keitaro crossed his arms, planning on what to do next. _There's really not all that much to do...I've already cleaned the hot springs, but other than that I don't know what to do next. I'll have to ask Haruka later today what my jobs are and where I can buy supplies for repairs. _ That much was true. Since he had become landlord just that morning, he had no idea where and what damages to the inn were, or where he could get tools and materials to fix them. _Maybe I should go over now... _

Deciding to do just that, Keitaro grabbed a sweatshirt and shoes before putting them on and making his way out of the inn. On the way down he came across Shinobu who, upon noticing him, immediately burst into tears and ran in the opposite direction. He could only imagine how much anger and hate she felt towards him. However, he could only blame himself for what happened. It was his fault for betraying her trust like he had. Although this was probably an over-exaggeration on his part as Keitaro always found himself guilty for others' sadness, no matter how much of a role he had taken in it.

After a little self-chiding, Keitaro finally made it to the teahouse. He went in, the small tinkling of the doors' bells celebrating his arrival. "Haruka! You in here?"

Steps coming down the stairs answered his call, and Haruka walked into the room, her customary "Café Hinata" apron fastened around her body. A smile lit across her face when seeing who it was. "Hey, Kei. What are you doing back so soon?"

He sat down at one of the tables and folded his hands. "I needed to ask you some questions about being landlord since you were the previous housemother and all."

His aunt joined him at the other end of the table, crossing one leg over the other as she did. "Go ahead, shoot."

"First, what jobs do I have? Other than cleaning the hot springs and repairs, that is?"

"Well..." She leaned back in her chair and tapped her cheek. "Cooking and washing clothes are done on a rotation schedule. Each of the girls take a turn to do them so I don't think you have to worry about that. Keeping Hinata House in shape like cleaning the windows, waxing the floor, etc. and taking care of the finances is really all you have to do. The records for the inn should be in that file I gave you."

"They are. Thanks." He sighed, grateful he wouldn't have to do everything single-handedly. He had grown used to just taking care of himself, and now he had to take care of five girls? It might be difficult but at least he was always up for a challenge. "Second, where can I get materials and tools for the repairs?"

"Oh, don't worry about that." Haruka jerked her thumb behind her at the staircase she had emerged from. "Mom made sure to stock up for your arrival so all the stuff you'll need is upstairs. If you ever do run out, there's a hardware store just down the street from us. The owner knows me quite well so just stay Haruka sent you and he'll set you right up."

"Thank you. I suppose that's it so I'll get..." He stopped in the act of getting up out of his chair as a thought resurfaced in his mind. Of course, how could he forget about that? "On second thought, there's one more thing I need to ask. Where's the nearest mechanic? My bike broke down and I'll need it in getting to and from places."

Haruka laughed, something Keitaro did not expect. "It depends. Would you rather lose your wallet or a limb?"

He blinked. "What kind of question is that?"

"Exactly what it means," she responded. "You can either go to one of the mechanics in town and get completely ripped off, or you can go ask our own little mad scientist and probably get blow up in the process."

Keitaro tilted his head to the side. "Mad scientist?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "Su." His eyes widened in surprise. An eighth-grader like Su...a mad scientist? "Her energy levels aren't the only things abnormal about her. Her intellect could easily rival the smartest minds of our country. You should see the creepy, little contraptions she has cluttered around her room. It's enough to give you nightmares." Haruka shuddered as she remembered the day Su had been brought home from school by her teacher when one of her inventions backfired and blew out the outside wall of her classroom.

"I'm sure she can't be that bad..." He gulped under the withering stare of his aunt. She looked at him as though he were the most ignorant man on earth. "Urm, but in any case I might have to ask Su-dono to fix it for me. I f I have the chance of getting the repairs for free I'll have to take it. I can't afford to just spend money."

Haruka shrugged. "It's your funeral." She smiled at Keitaro's hopeless look; he was so fun to tease. "But before you go, make sure to take the tools from upstairs. That way you can get started on the landlord work."

He smiled back and pushed himself out of his seat. "Thank you, Haruka. I think I'll do just that."

-

Several hours later a call for diner was heard throughout the house. Keitaro wiped his brow before coming down from the roof. He had been throwing himself into his duties as manager with a passion – cleaning the inn from top to bottom and fixing any holes or such he found along the way. Now he could take a much-needed break. He wondered how Tanuka had been able to do this by himself for his own apartment building for so long.

Yawning, Keitaro wearily walked down to the kitchen. _Think I'll take a bath after this. _ He cricked his neck, imagining what it would feel like to soak in a warm pool of water. _That should be nice... _

As he went by the dining room, Kitsune looked up from her bowl to see him pass by. "Hey, landlord!" Keitaro's head poke out from the doorway, a confused look on his face. She grinned and beckoned to him. "Ain'tcha gonna come join us? Shinobu cooked tonight so it's bound to be good." She winked at the indigo-haired lass, who blushed at the compliment.

He shook his head at the offer. "That's quite all right, Kitsune-dono. I'm sure you and the others would have a much better time if I weren't there. Besides, I'm used to instant ramen so you don't have to worry about me." He bopped a fist into his palm and looked up. "Oh, almost forgot." He looked back at the girls. "Su-dono, may I have a moment of your time?"

"Sure, ronin!" Su made a jump from her chair to Keitaro that absolutely defied the laws of physics before latching onto his back. "Whatcha want?"

Keitaro gently pried her off and set her down to the pleasure of the others. "I was wondering that if it isn't too much trouble, you would be willing to fix my motorcycle." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Haruka said you're good with machines, and I'm totally hopeless with them." He chose to omit the fact that Haruka had also stated that any machine tinkered on by Su became a death wish to all who used it.

Su's eyes lit up like the sun at his request. "Really! You mean it? You want me to fix your bike?"

"If it's not an inconvenience." Keitaro smiled at her enthusiasm. "It's out in the parking lot when you have the time to."

"Are you kidding? I _love_ machines! I'll fix it for you, no charge! In fact, I'll soup it up for you also! Let's see...There's a bigger engine, nitro injectors..." She counted several various parts on her fingers as she spoke. "...rocket boosters...Ooh! And lasers, can't forget lasers!"

Keitaro could feel his apprehension skyrocketing when the exotic youngster began to cackle maniacally. Maybe Haruka was right; maybe she really was crazy. What had he gotten himself into?

"Do not worry, Urashima." He looked over to see Motoko quietly eating at the table. She set down her cup of tea she had just been sipping on to look at him. "I will supervise her to make sure she doesn't gut your vehicle too much."

They all saw the young man visibly sigh in relief. "Thank you very much, Motoko-dono." He turned to see Su still muttering about machinery and whatnot. "Uh...and you too, Su-dono. Thank you." Keitaro bowed formally to them and smiled. "Good night to you, young ladies. I shall see you again tomorrow." With that he left, a sense of polite warmth remaining in his wake.

Su stopped in her ramblings when she discovered her new playmate was gone. "Huh, where'd Keitaro go?"

"That guy's quite the mystery, you know?" Kitsune said. "He flat-out refused to dine with a bunch of beauts like us. Most guys wouldn't pass up a chance like that." Her smile had grown sly at that point and her eyes danced with mischief. "Though he is quick when he wants to be. Just today he tried to seduce Naru."

Motoko's eyes darkened and she slowly drew her bokken. "He...what...?"

"Kitsune!" Naru slammed her hands on the table. "Stop saying that! All he did was ask about that hole in my floor and whether I wanted it fixed or not." she turned to Motoko, who seemed reluctant to put down her weapon. "Really, Motoko, he was a perfect gentleman." Motoko nodded in acceptance and placed her bokken back at her side.

"But you know, it's strange." The others turned to stare at Kitsune. She was balanced with her elbow on the table, her cheek in her palm. "Hinata never even said she had a grandson. And then Keitaro pops up and she expects us to just accept him. What's up with that?"

"Because she hoped he would get to be in a family again."

Haruka was leaning against the wall, gone unnoticed by the others before she spoke up. Kitsune smiled wryly at the almost invisible-like woman. "Jeez, Haruka, you're always here when we start talking about your nephew. You stalking him or something?"

She frowned back. "Call it an intuition. But if you say anything like that ever again I'll call up all of your bar tabs. And you know you have enough to balance out the national deficit." Kitsune stuck her tongue out in immature defeat.

Haruka sighed at her reaction. "Listen, the truth is that Mom hasn't seen Keitaro for five years and I haven't for even longer. Hell, I haven't even spoken to him over the phone for that long either. Keitaro has been all alone ever since he left Hinata House."

"Well, what about his parents?" Motoko asked. "Surely they would take care of him."

Haruka shook her head, her face degenerating into sorrow. "He doesn't have any. His father, my brother, and his wife died in a car accident when an accused drunk plowed headfirst into them. Keitaro was only five." A small collective gasp came from the girls. To lose both parents at such a young age? That was... "Horrible. Keitaro had to watch his parents' mangled bodies get carried out of the wreckage. He was scarred for life because of it.

"After his parents' death, Keitaro got really depressed. He wouldn't talk to anyone – not his friends, not his teachers, not even to Mom or me. All he would do was sit in his room and cry all day. After a while he began to talk again but...his heart won't open up to anyone now. He's closed it behind a wall of politeness and isolation." Haruka sighed, rubbing an eye to prevent the tears from falling. This simple surprised the girls even more than what she had said. Haruka was always a woman of indifference, not seeming to be affected by anything...And now she was crying?

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before continuing. "A few years after I left for college, Keitaro ran away from home. He's been living by himself ever since."

"So?" They all turned to look at Kitsune, who had an annoyed look on her face. "We've all been by ourselves for a while, too. We've been living here, away from our families. How's he any different?"

Haruka didn't bother to respond with a snide remark. She knew that Kitsune's and the other girls' home lives were nothing to be desired. Still, that didn't give her the right to say things like that without thinking them through first. "Maybe..." she replied. " But at least you have everyone else here, Kitsune. You might not be with your family, but at least you have friends. Keitaro no one...not to mention he lived on the streets – _literally_. From what Mom told me, he slept in alleyways with maybe a night or two in a hotel every so often until a couple of years ago." She walked over to Kitsune, a solemn look on her face. "Just answer this, Kitsune...After living here for so long, could _you_ spend a night a park bench for years...willingly?"

The fox-lady's eyes widened as the full meaning of Haruka's words hit her. Could she, after living in such comfort for so long, truly begin to understand the trials Keitaro had to go through to get where he was today? Possibly...But she wasn't exactly eager to find out first-hand. "I...I'm sorry Haruka..."

"It's okay, Kitsune," the older woman smiled. "I know you've had your share of problems but please understand...Keitaro takes things a lot more seriously than most people would, so go easy on teasing him, okay?" Kitsune cracked a small grin at this request, glad that Haruka had attempted to put a playful spin on the situation.

Haruka turned to the rest and clasped her hands lightly in front of her. "Girls, I'm not asking that you love him or treat him like a relative...Just treat him with the respect and dignity that he deserves. And, if at all possible, treat him like a friend. Right now, he could use any kindness at all."

-

"Mmm...this feels nice..."

Keitaro sunk lower into the instant hot-water heater. After being told he wasn't allowed in the main bath just _yet_ (something he wasn't sure was good or bad), he had been sent to the substitute bath. He wasn't complaining. Although the springs were nicer, being in an apartment with only a shower didn't make him picky; he could live with it. After all, even though he now owned the place, he was still new to it and needed to be accepted.

_So this is what it feels like to own my own inn. It's an interesting change from just studying and training all the time. _ He groaned slightly, causing bubbles to rise from his underwater position. _And I forgot to practice today. Ugh, I hope it doesn't throw me off or anything. Maybe I should just get up earlier and do doubles tomorrow. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. _

The sounds of squeals and shouts of delight caught Keitaro's attention. Rising from the tub, he clothed himself in a towel and walked over to the railing that stopped him from falling off the balcony. He leaned over it and looked around the corner. Immediately, he blushed and slapped a hand over his eyes. What awaited his sight were the girls, bathing and without a stitch of clothing on them. He quickly turned around and was about to go back inside when he heard his name spoken.

"So, who would've thought that Keitaro guy went through stuff like that, huh?"

"Well, at least now I know why he was crying yesterday and why he seems to be so depressed at times."

Keitaro stepped back to the railing, making sure to avert his eyes. He wanted to find out just how much they knew about him.

"Still, Naru, you lost your mother, did you not? And Su and Shinobu are away from their families, too. They're younger than Urashima was when he ran away."

"Yeah, but I have you, Motoko! I might not be with my family but I have you guys around to have fun with!"

"And I was really young when my mom died. I barely even remember her."

"It's really kinda sad...Maybe I should listen to Haruka and stop teasing him."

"Don't do that, Kitsune! Then it'll feel like you're pitying him, and I doubt he'll want that."

"Oh, really? And when did you become an expert on our new landlord?"

"I...I..."

"I knew it! You do have a crush on him! How sweet!"

"Shut up!"

Keitaro sighed and ignored the rest of the conversation. Naru-dono had a crush on him? Hmph, not likely. Besides, he had more important things to worry about. Like how he was going to split his time between his studies, his training, and now his new duties as landlord. He had school tomorrow, so he guesses he would have to take the trolley to school instead. Oh well, it was only a minor inconvenience. And then there was the problem of dealing with...

"So, they know about me and my past. Haruka must have told them." He propped his elbows on the railing and looked up at the starry night sky. "Well, they were going to find out sooner or later. I just hope they don't pity me, like Naru-dono said." He laughed bitterly. "That's all I need – _more_ people to feel sorry for poor, orphaned Keitaro."

Suddenly, he heard a cracking noise, and the wood supporting him gave way.

"Whoa!"

Keitaro looked down from where he was hanging, a good ten meters above the ground. His hand gripped the edge of the balcony tightly, determined not to let go for fear of plummeting to the ground. He looked at what remained of the railing that was both clutched in his other hand and also scattered about the ground. It was at times like this that he thanked God and his grandmother for giving him such quick reflexes. He could've been in a very painful situation otherwise.

Clambering back onto the balcony, Keitaro took another look at the pole that was once the protective barrier for the edge before sighing and tossing it away. _It would seem Naru-dono's room isn't the only place with rotted wood. This place sure has taken a turn for the worse since I've been gone... _ He grabbed his clothes and made his way back to the room. "Maybe I never should have left in the first place..."

A/N: Huh, it's done...That's cool. Anyway, I'm sorry about this, but it's gonna be a while before the next chapter comes up. Please don't hate me! _ (screams like a little girl while random objects are thrown) _ I'm soooorrrrryyyy! I haven't written any new chapters in my draft notebooks so...tough! I have, however, done a couple of sheets of ALGO. So be happy with that accomplishment. Also, I'm writing a bunch of new stories, too. One of which isn't a romance fic! Shock! It's called "Tainted Soul" and it's a Love Hina fic. The basis of it is that the girls finally find out just what gives Keitaro his so-called "immortality." And trust me, it isn't a pleasant discovery... _ (shudders) _Anyway, I'll talk to you about it more after the interview!

Yamiga: Heyo, people! Welcome back to our interview! How you all doing!

Non-existent Audience: ...

Yamiga: _ (sweatdrops) _ I guess no one likes this part. Ah well, too bad!

Chaos: Dude, calm down before you hurt yourself.

Yamiga: Sorry...

Chaos: _ (shakes head) _ Idiot...

Keitaro: Urm...can we get back to the interview, please?

Yamiga: _ (grins) _ Oh, yeah! That's right! So... _ (turns to everyone) _ How did all of you like it? Was it for fun?

Keitaro: I enjoyed myself. Landlord work is actually a lot of fun! And all of the young misses are very nice, too!

Naru: It was sorta fun. Kitsune wouldn't stop teasing me, though.

Kitsune: I couldn't help it! _ (grins) _ You are just too fun to tease! Not to mention it's also way too easy to do so, especially when you have a crush...

Naru: _ (blushes) _ Kitsune! How many times do I have to tell you to shut up!

Yamiga: _ (ignores the two; walks up to the others) _ How about you girls? Anything you enjoy?

Motoko: It was tolerable. Urashima is proving that he wasn't the big of a pervert as I though he was. However... _ (steals a glance at the feuding friends) _ Those two are making quite the big racket. What exactly did you do? _ (stares dangerously) _

Yamiga: _ (begins to sweat) _ Err...Moving on! Su! How 'bout you?

Su: Keitaro fell into the springs! _ (laughs) _ That was really funny!

Yamiga: _ (sighs) _ Why am I not surprised you enjoyed that part?

Chaos: Because she's the one that caused it.

Yamiga: Eheh, right! Well...only one more person to ask. Shinobu, how did you like it?

Shinobu: _ (hides behind Motoko) _ ...

Yamiga: _ (tilts head to side) _ Shinobu? What's wrong, sweetheart?

Chaos: Yamiga? In case you forgot, she's afraid of anyone unknown to her. Remember? She doesn't trust anyone now at this point in time.

Yamiga: _ (smiles sadly) _ Oh, right. Forgot. I'll ask you again later, okay, Shinobu?

Shinobu: ...

Yamiga: _ (sighs) _ Ah well, she'll come out of her shell sooner or later. In any case, you all had an interesting time, right!

Everyone: Right!

Yamiga: And you can't wait for the next chapter, right!

Everyone: Right!

Yamiga: And we all know that Naru and Keitaro really, really like each other, right!

Everyone: Righ...Huh?

_Keitaro and Naru burst into furious blushes as the others stare at them in utter shock. Yamiga and Chaos explode into laughter at the scene. _

Yamiga: Ahahaha! Made you say you liked each other!

Chaos: _ (pokes Yamiga on shoulder) _ Dude, you are gonna die...

Yamiga: Eh... _ (looks to see a furious Naru crack her knuckles) _ Oh crap...

Naru: _ (grits teeth) _ Ya-mi-ga...

Yamiga: _ (laughs nervously) _ Eheh, well...look at the time! I've got to go! See ya! _ (runs off like the little wimp he is) _

Naru: Come back here, you piece of filth! I'll teach you! _ (runs off after him) _

Chaos: _ (sighs) _ Oh boy, he never learns...

Keitaro: Chaos-dono? Is Yamiga-dono going to be all right when Naru-dono catches him?

Chaos: Eh, don't worry about that idiot. Naru's been trying to kill him in the other fics but hasn't done so so far. He has the devil's luck with him. _ (coughs) _ In any case, since Yamiga ain't here I'm gonna have to ask you do to the honors. Would ya?

Everyone: Of course! _ (turns to audience – which doesn't exist, sob!) _Please Review!

A/N: I swear, I've gotta learn to think before I speak or act. Naru nearly killed me that time. Ah well, que sera sera...Anyway, I've gotten this chapter done but it may be a long time before the next one is up as well. But never fear! I've got three more _new_ stories lined up for after this one! Two LH and a "Threads of Fate" one! Yay! The next LH to come up will be the "Tainted Soul" one I was talking about earlier. It's really dark and I hope you'll enjoy it! Trust me, you'll see a whole other side to my personality... Buwahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHA... _ (author is whacked in back of the head) _ Urm...sorry. Anyway, please review, and remember, no flames!

_Preview! _

_Next Chapter: Schooltime Daze _

_Keitaro looked over at the girl. Top of the nation? Hmm, she must have worked very hard to attain such a status. Still, there was something tugging at the back of his mind that he just couldn't shake. He could have sworn he had seen that girl somewhere before. But where? He peered into her aura, determined to settle the uneasy thoughts lingering in his mind. When he actually did recognize just who the person was, his eyes widened in surprised disbelief. _

Naru-dono?


	5. Author Note

Hey, people. It has come to my attention that there is something wrong with my stories. This became apparent when a reviewer of one of my stories pointed out some glaring (or at least to me) defects that frankly perturbed me. I looked over all of my other stories a couple of times and found only one result...

I'm not that good of a writer. Well...Maybe not. I am a decent writer, at least compared to what I used to write. Jeez, I look at my earlier works and can't help but laugh at how bad it is. Heh heh...

Anyway, I've discovered that I'm way too disorganized. I'm writing several different stories and the consequences are showing up in each story through sudden changes in plot or character personalities. I can't help but say I am disappointed in myself.

And so I have decided I am will go on a temporary hiatus. It should last a month or two at the most. While it takes place any and all stories will be put on hold. Some of you may hate me for this but I really want to do better to please both myself and my readers.

I will spend the time organizing all of my stories, putting down the main ideas for each chapter until I am satisfied for each one. One of my problems is that I do half-think everything through; most of these chapters I (forgive me for the crude manners) literally pull out of my ass. So I will do my best to fix these mistakes.

Don't bother with the other new chapters for the other stories. They'll be the same as this one.

On a different note, however, I want your, the readers, opinion. Once I do start writing again, what story do you want me to finish first? I decided it'd be best for the integrity of the storyline to pick one story and stick with it. So instead of reviewing this "chapter," send an e-mail to me on which story you want me to do. My e-mail's then, hope you read some good stories and wait until mine come back on. I'm sorry for any inconvenience. See ya!

Yamiga'sLight


End file.
